St Michael's Pre-School

Paint sprayed into new colours and a garden used for much of the day give St Michael's Pre-School a recognisable character in June 2022. Outdoor activity was part of the learning, with children experimenting, talking and practising hand control.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good on 29 June 2022. Based at The Parish Centre in Tettenhall, it has 20 places in total; children attending in June 2022 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: it brings language, physical development and other areas of learning into everyday activities. In June 2022, children combined activities directed by adults with play they chose themselves. Staff demonstrated sentence building and explored the properties of shapes.

The garden gave these experiences room to expand. In June 2022, children mixed paint colours using spray bottles, chased bubbles and steered wheeled toys past obstacles. Spraying paint exercised the hands for later pencil and scissor use; colour experiments invited predictions rather than simply a finished picture. Planting seeds also introduced how vegetables grow. Older children, however, were not consistently stretched during activities directed by adults, and some lost interest. That qualification matters for families seeking enough challenge before school.

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with SEND, progressed well, support for SEND was a strength, and safeguarding arrangements were effective.

In June 2022, staff worked with parents and outside professionals and adjusted activities to include children with SEND. Affectionate relationships accompanied practical independence: children took a daily helper role, managed personal care and practised sharing. Staff received continuing training and feedback following observations of their teaching.

Parent communication had a clear weakness in June 2022. Families needed more specific guidance about what their child should learn next, so they could build on it at home. Packed lunches also became a learning opportunity through the healthy eating chart, which recognised children's identification of healthy foods.

The address is The Parish Centre, Upper Street, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 8QF.

In June 2022, opening hours were 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. The pre-school operated across the year, closing for two weeks during summer, one at Easter and two at Christmas. At that time, it provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These arrangements describe its June 2022 operation.

• Challenge for older children. Teaching in June 2022 did not consistently extend older children's learning. Look for how activities now develop beyond what a child can already do.
• Learning at home. June 2022 feedback to parents lacked precise next steps. An example of current learning guidance would help families assess this aspect of communication.
• Attendance arrangements. The June 2022 opening window covered much of the working day. Which booking patterns and funded attendance arrangements would suit your family now?

St Michael's merits consideration for families looking for outdoor exploration and practical independence. Its June 2022 experience combined paint experiments, physical play and opportunities to take responsibility. The decision turns on how well today's teaching challenges older children and how clearly parents can extend learning at home.