St Malo Under Fives Centre

St Malo Under Fives Centre
Unique reference number (URN): 106223
Address: St. Malo under Fives Centre, Belle Cross Road, KINGSBRIDGE, Devon, TQ7 1NL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 12/03/1991
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: St Malo Under Fives Centre Committee
Inspection report: 26 January 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children make steady progress across all areas of learning. Staff support children to
become confident communicators. Pre-school children use a broad vocabulary to express
ideas clearly, while younger children explain their needs, for example identifying when a toy
is 'messy' and needs cleaning. Children develop a love of books listening to staff read
stories. This supports their early literacy and language development.
Children form positive relationships, take turns and show kindness. Creative and physical
development are promoted through purposeful play. Children make paper fans with sticker
decorations, explore imaginative role play in costumes, and develop fine motor skills by
picking up pom-poms with tweezers.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged
and those known to social services receive effective support to reach developmental
milestones. As a result, all children achieve well from their starting points and are prepared
for the next stage of learning, including school. A stronger focus on mathematics would
support children's readiness for the next stage of learning even more.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders create a nurturing, positive and inclusive environment for all children. Staff establish
clear expectations for behaviour and consistently support children to be kind, respectful and
cooperative. Positive relationships between staff and children underpin this approach,
helping children feel safe, confident and valued. The key-person system ensures that
children receive consistent care and emotional support, promoting secure attachments and
wellbeing.
Established routines help children develop independence and a sense of responsibility. For
example, children serve themselves at snack time, tidy resources after activities and follow
daily routines confidently. These routines, alongside clear expectations for behaviour, give
children a strong sense of structure, supporting their confidence and engagement in
learning.
Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. They show curiosity, enthusiasm
and persistence during activities and enjoy exploring new experiences with friends and
adults. Staff adapt routines to ensure that all children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities or additional needs, are supported to participate fully.
Leaders monitor and celebrate children's achievements, fostering a culture of
encouragement. They recognise the importance of attendance and punctuality but should
communicate this further with parents to ensure that all children benefit from consistent
access to learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing and ensure that staff understand their role
in supporting each child. Established daily routines and positive, trusting relationships
between staff and children help children feel safe, secure and confident. Staff know children
well and build positive, trusting relationships with them. Children feel safe, supported and
confident to engage fully in learning.
Staff support children to manage emotions, develop social skills and build resilience. For
example, they help children to persevere when they struggle to put on their raincoat
independently. Children develop a wide range of physical skills during daily outdoor play.
Staff promote hygiene and safety consistently. At snack times, children are guided to make
positive choices about healthy food and drink. Leaders share nutrition and healthy diet
guidance with parents. However, this is not consistently embedded in order to best support
children with healthy eating habits, including packed lunches, to ensure that children
consistently benefit from nutritious options.
Inclusive approaches ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged and children known to social services,
receive the support they need to access activities fully and thrive. Staff adapt resources and
activities to meet individual needs, promoting equality and ensuring that every child feels
valued. For example, children communicate their ideas and needs effectively using image
boards.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
The curriculum meets the learning and development requirements of the early years
foundation stage and reflects leaders' shared expectations for children's learning. Staff
deliver the curriculum consistently and provide a broad range of experiences that support
children's development across the prime areas. Teaching is effective and underpinned by
positive relationships and purposeful interactions between staff and children.
Staff prioritise children's communication and language, and older children speak with
confidence, explaining and naming animal noises they hear during a game. Staff model
clear speech, introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to share their thoughts and
ideas. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively by
adapting activities and providing targeted support so all children make progress.
Staff promote children's social and emotional development. Children feel safe, develop
secure relationships and learn to manage their emotions and behaviour. Staff encourage
independence, resilience and positive social skills. For example, children take turns to serve
themselves fruit and milk at snack time. Staff also promote physical development, helping
children build strength, balance and coordination through outdoor play, such as using a
balance beam.
Children develop early mathematical skills through play, such as puzzles and matching
games. However, staff do not yet consistently build on this learning. Leaders should monitor

planning and practice closely to ensure that staff include mathematics in daily activities,
strengthening teaching and children's understanding of early mathematics.
Inclusion Expected standard
Staff identify, assess and meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND), including children who speak English as an additional language, those
who are disadvantaged and children known to social services. Staff know children well and
use ongoing assessment to identify individual needs. They work closely with parents, carers
and external professionals to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support.
Leaders take effective action to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. They
make reasonable adjustments and provide targeted support so all children can access the
curriculum fully. Inclusive practice underpins the setting and ensures that every child feels
valued and supported.
Leaders monitor children's progress carefully and review the effectiveness of support. They
evaluate the impact of strategies and adapt provision where needed to ensure that children
continue to make progress. This close oversight ensures that support remains responsive to
children's changing needs. Although support is typically effective, leaders should provide
targeted training for staff to best support children's individual SEND needs.
Children with SEND or who are disadvantaged benefit from well-planned strategies that help
them make progress from their individual starting points. Children in social care receive
consistent and effective support. Managers maintain strong partnerships with social services
and other agencies. Leaders monitor the use of additional funding to ensure that it has a
meaningful impact on children's learning, development and wellbeing.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders maintain effective links with parents and other early years professionals, ensuring
that children receive consistent support both at home and in the setting. Parents' feedback is
positive, and parents report that they feel kept up to date with what children do and their
progress. Staff report high levels of job satisfaction and enjoy working at the pre-school.
Recent changes in staffing and the recruitment of new staff have been managed effectively,
ensuring continuity and stability for children.
Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and take action to improve it.
They routinely reflect on the curriculum aims and the impact of teaching and learning and
children's progress to review where changes are needed to make improvements. Decisions
made focus on the best interests of all children, especially those who are disadvantaged,
known to social care or face learning barriers. Leaders create a culture of inclusion, where
every child is valued and enabled to take part so that all children reach their potential.
Leaders provide staff with regular and appropriate training, but it is not yet targeted enough
to improve teaching and children's learning further. Those responsible for governance

should focus professional development more precisely to help staff enhance practice,
maintain high standards and meet the needs of all children more effectively.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive at the pre-school happy, confident and keen to begin their day. They
separate easily from their carers and move into the setting feeling safe, secure and valued.
Children quickly develop independence as they confidently find their own named coat pegs
and manage their belongings. Warm, welcoming staff greet children positively, helping them
to settle and promoting a strong sense of emotional wellbeing. Children show high levels of
confidence and are eager to share their ideas, interests and achievements with adults and
their peers.
Children form positive relationships and play cooperatively with others. They are kind,
respectful and considerate, learning to take turns, share resources and work together. Staff
model positive behaviour and language, which helps children to develop social skills.
Children of all ages show enthusiasm for learning.
Children remain curious and highly engaged in activities. They concentrate for sustained
periods, showing deep involvement in their play. Outdoors, children explore the natural
environment with excitement and purpose. They investigate insects using magnifying
glasses, developing their curiosity, observation skills and understanding of the world.

Inspector:
Victoria Jones
About this setting
Communication and language development sits at the heart of the setting. Staff speak
clearly, listen attentively and extend children's thinking through purposeful interactions.
Children confidently express themselves, ask questions and use an increasingly wide range
of vocabulary. Younger children develop early mathematical understanding as they build
railway tracks together, cooperating with friends.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged receive
timely and effective support. Staff know children well and adapt activities so all children can
access the ambitious curriculum and make progress from their individual starting points.
Inclusive practice ensures that every child feels valued and able to succeed. Children thrive,
build strong foundations for future learning and are well prepared for the next stage of their
education.
Next steps
Leaders should develop mathematics teaching further to strengthen children's early
understanding and confidence.
Leaders should promote attendance and punctuality further to ensure that all children
benefit from consistent access to learning.
Leaders should explore further ways of sharing even more guidance with parents,
particularly with reference to healthy eating, to ensure that children consistently benefit
from nutritious options.
Leaders should target staff professional development more precisely to improve teaching
and children's learning further.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the designated safeguarding lead, the
special educational needs coordinator, children and parents during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Unique reference number (URN): 106223
Address:
St. Malo under Fives Centre
Belle Cross Road
KINGSBRIDGE
Devon
TQ7 1NL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 12/03/1991
Registered person: St Malo Under Fives Centre Committee
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:30
Local authority: Devon
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 26 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 4
Total number of places
30
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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