Warton Preschool

Inspection of Warton Preschool Archbishop Huttons Primary School, Back Lane, Warton, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9QU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are happy and confident as they say goodbye to their parents and enter the pre-school. They are keen to see their friends and quickly become engrossed in their play. Staff respond warmly to children's individual needs and they have high expectations for behaviour. Staff model the use of good manners well and children automatically say please and thank you. Children are familiar with daily routines and access resources easily in the well-planned environment. They listen to each other's ideas and work together to solve problems. Children talk about their drawings and paintings proudly. Staff celebrate children's achievements and this helps to develop their self-esteem. Relaxing music is played in the background to provide a calm environment. This helps to soothe younger children when it is time for a nap.

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The provision is good

Staff support children to fasten their own coats and put their boots on the correct feet as they get ready to play outside. This helps to develop their independence. Children shriek with excitement as they explore the freshly fallen snow in the large secure outdoor area. Staff introduce words, such as sprinkle, crunchy and thaw, as they play with the children. This helps to expand children's vocabulary and supports communication and language development.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff use their knowledge of what children know and can do to structure the curriculum. They incorporate children's interests when planning exciting activities and this inspires children to learn new things. Additional funding is used well to address any gaps in learning. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide additional support for children who need it. n Overall, activities are well matched to children's abilities and provide appropriate levels of challenge. However, at times, staff do not consider the development levels of younger children during group activities. For example, younger children lose interest during whole-group talking sessions. n Staff encourage children to hold out their arms to help them to balance as they travel over and under obstacles outside. Older children use scissors to cut paper and younger children use different tools to scoop and pour snow. This helps to

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need to do better?

support physical development. n Staff use every opportunity to help children to practise their counting skills. For example, they encourage children to count how many snowballs they make outside. They talk about the size of different objects and use language, such as more and less, to describe different amounts. This helps to develop children's understanding of mathematical language. n Staff provide interesting resources for children to explore. Older children peel

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need to do better?

29 November 2021 sprouts and chop parsnips. Younger children explore shiny foil, ribbons, glitter, Christmas baubles and bells in a sensory activity. This incites their natural curiosity and creates an eagerness to learn. n Children listen in awe as staff change the tone of their voice when reading stories. They are familiar with nursery rhymes and sing along enthusiastically. This helps to develop their love of reading and understanding of language. n Older children attempt to write their names on the pictures they have made. They recognise some of the sounds that letters make. The daily phonics sessions that staff plan help to secure this knowledge, and this prepares children well for the next phase of their education. n The pre-school operates an effective key-person system and this has helped to reassure parents and children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite experiencing limited settling-in sessions with parents, children new to the pre-

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need to do better?

school settle quickly. Strong links with the local school ensure a smooth transition for children as they move on and this supports their emotional well- being. n Parents are very complimentary about the pre-school. They say it feels like being part of a family. They are happy with the progress their children make and appreciate the information that staff share with them through an online app. They say that this helps them to effectively support their child's learning at home. n The manager and staff strive to develop the pre-school. They know what areas they want to improve and what they do well. Staff receive regular supervision which supports their ongoing professional development and continuous improvement. However, this does not specifically focus on helping staff to improve their teaching to the highest level.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have secure knowledge of local safeguarding procedures. They know how to spot signs that a child may be at risk of harm and talk confidently about the action they would take. They fully understand their roles and responsibilities and know what they must do if they are concerned about the manager or another member of staff. Robust recruitment procedures are followed, and checks are made for staff to ensure their ongoing suitability to work with children. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, staff encourage children to test how slippery the ice is before running outside.

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should:

n strengthen the arrangements for staff supervision to further improve the quality

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should:

29 November 2021 of teaching and learning n review staff practice to ensure that group activities suit the developmental levels of all children, particularly ensuring the engagement of younger children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2509436 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10194479 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Warton Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 07762365671 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Warton Preschool registered in 2018. The pre-school employs four members of staff, all of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. The pre-school operates from 8.15am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, term-time only. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n A planned activity was jointly evaluated by the manager and the inspector. n The inspector held discussions with the provider, the manager, the staff, and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n A range of documentation was sampled by the inspector, including evidence of the suitability of staff. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

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.

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Inspection activities

29 November 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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