St John’s Pre-School 'really happy' with good Ofsted report

A Newbury pre-school has been rated as ‘good’ in its recent Ofsted inspection, writes Fiona Paus.

Hannah Milson, manager at St John’s Pre-School, next to St John's Church, said she is delighted with the report.

“We are really happy, it’s a big sigh of relief for us," she added. "It was my first inspection at the pre-school, so I’m really proud of the team to hear what we have achieved. It’s such a reward.”

Ofsted inspections are required for all childcare providers and take place every six years. Schools are evaluated across five categories including behaviour and attitudes, quality of education and leadership and management.

According to the positive report, staff at St John’s “have high expectations for children's behaviour” and “offer children plenty of opportunities to be physically active in their play”.

The report also mentions that the pre-schoolers were very happy at the nursery, stating that "children have endearing positive attitudes to play and learning. They thoroughly enjoy the wide variety of activities the pre-school has to offer.”

St John’s uses the Curiosity Approach to teaching. This means children are given real responsibility such as using delicate objects like china tea cups and wooden toys.

The report notes that it teaches children “respect for their belongings” and “problem solving skills”.

Mrs Milson said their goal is to “get the children as ready as we can to start their own adventures”.

She added: “We strive to do our best for the children and have already started to improve based on their feedback to ensure we provide the highest standard of care and teaching.”