Warmley Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children excitedly enter this friendly pre-school.

They are greeted warmly by their key person, who asks how they are that day. Children are confident to join staff and children already in the pre-school, who welcome them by saying 'hello' and smiling. Staff implement a progressive and well-planned curriculum that builds on children's knowledge and understanding.

They plan activities to support progress, taking into account children's interests and next steps in learning. They use skilful questioning and suggestions during children's play that provides challenge to extend children's learning or opportunities to revisit... previous learning. Children benefit from this targeted approach that maximises their progress.

Staff teach children to take turns and resolve conflicts for themselves. For instance, they model taking turns with toddlers when building towers, saying 'your turn', 'my turn'. They teach children to respect others and use 'kind hands and feet'.

Children show empathy and care. For example, they share toys with other children and ask their friends if they are 'OK' when they fall over. Staff teach children about special places in the village.

For example, children joined in the remembrance service and understand that there is a 'soldier's garden'. They have weekly trips to a local school for forest school sessions. Children build a positive sense of self and their place in the community.

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

Staff gather information about children before they start. They use this alongside their initial observations to identify gaps in children's learning. They seek professional help when needed and put interventions in place immediately.

Funding is used well to provide relevant support for children. All children make progress in their learning and development.Staff build effective relationships with parents and include them in pre-school life.

For instance, parents come into the setting and share foods, events and key celebrations from their cultures. Staff recognise the need to support parents as well as the children. Children benefit from these secure relationships and sense of 'family' that the pre-school provides.

Children learn about key life skills through play. For instance, they practise washing clothes and cleaning dishes in the home corner. At times, children display independence by placing bags and lunch boxes in the correct areas when they arrive and by choosing what activities they want to play.

However, staff miss opportunities to promote independence during some routines through the day, such as tidy-up times and snack times. For instance, some children pick up toys while others carry on playing, and at snack time, children wait for staff to inform them to pour themselves drinks. At these times, children are not always able to do things for themselves and some children lose focus.

Staff promote children's health. They prioritise daily time outside in the fresh air. They work with parents to ensure that children bring in healthy foods for lunch.

Staff and children talk about how to keep bodies and teeth healthy. For example, they chat about brushing their teeth that morning and children show the movements they made to clean thoroughly.Leaders monitor staff practice and offer support and guidance.

They hold regular training sessions and observe staff's interactions with children each term to provide feedback and targets for improvements. Overall, the standard of staff practice has a positive impact on children's learning. However, during large group activities, staff are not deployed to fully support the engagement of children.

Some children are not fully engaged and miss the learning opportunities being offered.Staff build children's communication and language skills. They know the children well and use this to provide appropriate levels of support.

For instance, they narrate toddlers' play and show correct pronunciation of words. They extend children's words, such as adding 'big, blue bus' when they say 'bus' to model longer phrases. For older children, they encourage the sharing of ideas.

Staff offer animated story times where they extend children's vocabulary and encourage children to join in simple repeated rhymes. Children are highly communicative. For instance, they sit chatting to their friends and staff during lunchtimes and interact well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: further support children's independence and ability to do things for themselves at snack and tidy-up times strengthen the organisation of large group activities to ensure children are engaged and able to access the intended learning.