Warwick Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a well-organised and engaging learning environment that is bright and welcoming. They are kind, caring and enthusiastic. Children of all age groups happily leave their parents and carers. They eagerly settle into exploring the various activities on offer. Children look forward to meeting their friends and enjoy including their peers and staff in their play. Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have created an ambitious curriculum. Overall, they organise activities and learning effectively to meet children's individual needs and age. For instance, staff provide magnifying glasses in the garden for children who enjoy exploring and searching for bugs and insects. They teach children to be mindful and to care for the natural world as they turn over logs and dig in the soil to discover ants, woodlice and snails.

Staff adapt activities and the environment for younger children. For instance, they add musical instruments and small-world objects as children learn familiar songs and rhymes. Staff also develop children's speech and language skills effectively. They read familiar stories to encourage older children to discuss characters, summarise the plot and predict what will happen next. They use props such as puppets, toys and real food, to enhance children's experiences. Staff teach younger children the names of objects through activities to develop their attention and repeat words clearly. This helps to expand children's vocabulary. All children make good progress in their communication and language skills.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Overall, staff plan and structure activities to build on children's existing knowledge and skills. For example, during an activity themed around the festival of Eid and a story about a tiger, children enjoyed pouring and drinking tea. However, at times, staff do not have a clear intention for what they want older children to learn during some planned activities. This means that children do not fully grasp the purpose of the activity, which reduces the overall value of their learning experiences.
• Staff encourage parents to share information about their children's initial starting points in development. This information helps staff to understand the unique needs of each child. Staff observe children closely and regularly assess their development to determine what they need to learn next. However, staff do not always communicate these individual next steps with parents. This limits parents' ability to extend their child's development at home and provide continuity in their learning.
• Children enjoy active and healthy lives. Staff ensure that parents provide nutritious meals and provide daily outdoor play for children. They encourage children to develop their independence. For instance, after playing with sand, children help to sweep it up and older children assist in setting the table for meals. Children run, climb and explore the garden, which strengthens their bodies and provides fresh air. They also learn about good hygiene, such as washing their hands after messy play and before eating.
• Staff serve as positive role models for children, who learn by observing their behaviours. Children receive regular recognition and praise for their achievements, which effectively supports their emotional well-being. Children demonstrate good behaviours and learn to be mindful of each other's feelings. From a young age, children begin to learn the importance of taking turns and sharing toys and resources. Their eagerness and motivation to learn prepares them well for the next stage of their education.
• All children make good progress in their learning. They actively participate in decision-making, follow instructions effectively and demonstrate strong levels of concentration. For example, young children engage in problem-solving as they figure out how to melt ice blocks to free the toys and objects trapped inside. Older children develop their early mark-making skills, such as by using coloured markers to design clothes for their fashion show.
• Leaders and staff have made dedicated efforts to improve practice since the last inspection. For instance, they have created designated areas and tailored curriculum activities, such as smaller group activities, for younger children. Leaders have also ensured that staff have accessed targeted training and professional early years expertise to support improvements. Staff value the ideas gained from recent training, such as understanding two-year-old children's development, which has increased their confidence in their approach.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's understanding of how to better support older children during planned activities
• provide parents with information about their children's next steps in learning and ways to support their learning at home.