Little Potters Pre-school

Duck eggs hatching, water mixed into sand and stories brought to life with puppets give Little Potters Pre-school a hands-on character. These were features of its June 2024 provision, with children exploring materials, caring for animals and joining familiar stories. The appeal is practical learning through things children can handle and investigate.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, judged safeguarding effective and found highly effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Little Potters has capacity for 46 children at Wigston Road, Coventry, CV2 2QR; children attending in June 2024 were aged two to four.

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the June 2024 examples included counting through play, developing language through stories and exploring how living things grow. Children watched duck eggs hatch and learned about caring for the animals. That gave an abstract subject something tangible to build on.

Outdoors in June 2024, children poured water into sand and used tools to make pretend cakes. Choosing materials and handling the tools combined decision-making with physical practice. Counting games with a pretend wolf added shared play, while pom-poms placed into cones made mathematical ideas concrete.

Storytelling also had a physical dimension that month. Puppets and props helped children connect words with pictures, and familiar passages invited them to join in. The balance between adult-led activities and children's own play was less consistent: some group gatherings interrupted activities children wanted to continue.

In June 2024, staff learned about children's previous experiences from their families and adjusted activities accordingly. Communication methods were adapted for different families, with updates about learning and ways to continue it at home. Settling arrangements were flexible and tailored to individual children, rather than following one fixed pattern.

A dedicated sensory area in June 2024 could be adapted to children's needs, including a swing used to help them become calm before returning to activities. Staff also worked with outside professionals and agencies. These are concrete support mechanisms, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

That month, staff helped children practise self-care and build confidence ahead of school. Leaders held supervision sessions and arranged meetings and training for staff. However, less confident practitioners did not consistently adjust their teaching to take children's understanding further.

The address is Wigston Road, Coventry, CV2 2QR. In June 2024, opening hours were 8.45am to 3.30pm during term time only. That timetable fitted a term-time routine rather than year-round childcare.

In June 2024, the pre-school received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated funding position, separate from the current capacity of 46 places.

• Time to finish play. In June 2024, group gatherings sometimes cut short children's chosen activities. During a visit, look at how staff balance shared routines with time to continue an absorbing task.
• Extending learning. The June 2024 improvement priorities included developing less confident practitioners' teaching. Consider how staff respond when a child is ready for a more challenging question or activity.
• Your attendance pattern. The June 2024 timetable was term-time only. What current attendance and funding arrangement would fit your family's week?

Little Potters' June 2024 provision suits parents who value practical exploration, adaptable settling and concrete support mechanisms. Animal care, outdoor materials and interactive stories give that judgement substance. Families seeking a term-time pre-school routine have a useful historical timetable to consider, while interrupted play and uneven extension of learning remain the dated qualifications to the positive inspection judgement.