The Old Station Nursery - Warwick Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and families are greeted warmly as they arrive at nursery. Children quickly settle at activities and remain busily engaged in meaningful play and learning throughout the day. Staff are attentive to children's needs and enjoy engaging in play with them.

They often follow children's lead, such as when they join children to play hide and seek in the nursery garden. The environment is very stimulating and offers a broad range of learning opportunities supporting all areas of learning. Children make independent choices about how to spend their time.

They learn to competently manage their outdoor clothes as they mov...e between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The flexible routine provides opportunities for children to become engaged in self-chosen learning for extended periods of time. Adult-led group times provide opportunities for children to hear stories, sing, and learn to be part of a group.

However, some group activities do not fully engage or meet the needs of all children. Children's views and ideas are valued by staff. For example, children helped to decide how to use artificial grass as a carpet and a garden area for the playhouse.

Children's behaviour is very good. Staff teach children to share, take turns and help one another. They have high expectations and give children clear explanations of the reasons why they must follow certain rules and understand boundaries.

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

Staff get to know children very well and this supports them to effectively identify appropriate next steps in learning. Regular assessment and monitoring of progress ensures that any gaps in learning are quickly identified and supported. This ensures children make good progress.

Additional assessment, such as speech and language screening, is provided when needed.Children have a positive attitude to learning. They play imaginative games cooperatively and choose to look at books together.

Children engage in exploratory and investigative play with open-ended materials and resources. For example, they construct with cardboard boxes and mix soil and water in the garden to make 'brown cake'. However, they would benefit from more opportunities to engage in sustained exploratory play using creative materials.

Staff engage in play with children and sensitively extend their learning. For example, they model positional language as children work out how to join pieces of a train track, and help them to count play money. When children investigate magnetic letters and numbers, staff skilfully adapt their support.

Staff help younger children to find the initial letter of their name, and encourage older children to persevere to find and identify the sounds of all the letters in their name.Children's language and communication skills are well supported. Staff make the most of all opportunities to engage children in conversation.

They model and introduce new vocabulary, using clear explanations to support children's understanding. For example, as a story is read, new words such as 'distance', are introduced and explained.There are many opportunities for children to develop their self-help skills and independence.

At mealtimes children help to lay the table, serve their own meals, pour drinks and clear away their plates. Children learn to care for themselves and keep themselves safe. They talk with staff about healthy foods, for example, as they persevere to cut up real broccoli in the play kitchen.

In the garden they learn that they must wear a helmet when riding bicycles.Parents speak very positively about the care and education provided at the nursery. They feel well informed about their children's learning and progress and say that their children are very happy.

Before- and after-school club staff form positive and respectful relationships with children. Staff interactions and daily routines are adapted to effectively meet the needs of Reception children, which supports them to build their confidence. Good relationships with school staff ensure continuity of care.

The owner, director and manager work closely together to continually review and develop the provision. They ensure staff are well supported and have access to high-quality training to improve outcomes for children. The views of staff and parents are highly valued and there are regular opportunities for them to share their opinions.

Any feedback received is acted upon to help drive further improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff are very confident in their knowledge of possible signs and symptoms of abuse.

They know the local procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child or about the behaviour of a member of staff. Staff have a good awareness of wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty and female genital mutilation. The manager ensures that statutory training for paediatric first aid and child protection remains up to date.

Staff also receive regular updates and training within staff meetings. Recruitment processes ensure checks for new staff are thorough, and that they receive appropriate training during induction.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the planning for some group activities to fully engage and consistently challenge all children provide more opportunities for children to engage in sustained creative play and learning, using a wider range of media and materials.

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