Emscote Pre-School

Two classrooms behind Emscote Infant School and an enclosed garden give Emscote Pre-School a recognisable character: play, practical independence and preparation for the next stage of childhood. This Warwick setting has capacity for 38 children, with a current age range of three to five. Its accommodation includes quieter book play, a home corner and space for messy activities, so children have different ways to join in.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good, found safeguarding effective and judged that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), progressed well from their starting points. The main improvement concerned the pace of adult questioning. Children needed longer to think before another question followed.

Attendance is term-time, with morning, afternoon and full-day patterns, plus a Lunch Club that extends the morning. That choice matters for families fitting preschool around different daily routines.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for children's learning, development and care; here, play and planned activities give children opportunities to practise those skills. Themes, songs and stories organise the learning, with artwork, games and role-play helping children explore each topic. Children can also bring related objects to share with the group, giving them something familiar to talk about.

A two-year topic plan is intended to give children who stay beyond one year different material to explore. Sessions mix activities chosen by children with those organised by staff. This leaves room for personal interests alongside shared learning. Celebrations include Chinese New Year and Divali, with the emphasis on recognising events that matter to the children and their families.

In June 2024, children used binoculars to investigate the natural world, exchanging ideas about what they noticed. Songs helped organise routines, while small-group opportunities to talk about themselves gave children practice speaking to others. These are concrete ways to connect observation, conversation and participation.

Outdoor and Community Life

The accommodation has two rooms joined by a short set of steps. On the lower floor, the home corner supports pretend play, while the book corner provides a quieter option. Painting, modelling dough and gluing have their own messy-play area. These different spaces allow active and quieter play to sit within the same preschool day.

Outside, the enclosed garden has a rubberised surface, climbing equipment, ride-on toys and opportunities for gardening and sand play. Two covered areas help children use the garden in wet weather. Outdoor play can therefore remain part of the day across changing conditions.

In June 2024, garden activities included kicking and throwing balls, moving water and practising movements such as hopping and skipping. Indoors, drawing, scissors and pegs gave children opportunities to work on smaller hand movements. The combination connects energetic play with the handling skills needed for everyday tasks.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with a flexible induction, and parents are encouraged to remain for their child's first session. Each child has a keyworker who helps with settling and provides a familiar contact for parents. That gives families a specific person with whom to discuss their child's interests or concerns.

Parent meetings take place each term. Topic sheets explain the current learning and ways families can contribute at home, while newsletters cover preschool events. Parents may also stay and participate occasionally or regularly, making involvement more practical than simply receiving updates.

In June 2024, staff gathered information before children started about their routines, interests, medical needs and family circumstances. Children also practised independence by selecting activities, managing personal care and serving their food. These everyday responsibilities are relevant to the move towards school life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted praised the targeted support for children with SEND, including assessment of development and coordination with outside professionals through the special educational needs coordinator. The practical mechanism matters: emerging learning needs were identified and linked to additional help.

Lunch Club children bring a packed lunch from home. Families therefore retain responsibility for preparing that meal, as well as planning it around their child's needs.

Sessions and Attendance

Emscote Pre-School is on All Saints Road, Warwick, CV34 5NH, at the rear of Emscote Infant School. Access is along a pathway behind the staff car park. The setting operates during term time and closes for school holidays, so it fits a school-year pattern of childcare.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and a morning including Lunch Club runs from 9am to 1pm. Full days run from 9am to 3.30pm. Afternoon sessions finish at 3.30pm; their starting time needs clarification, as set out below.

Applications can be made by telephone or online form. Admission is ordered by date of birth; when demand exceeds the places the pre-school can offer, existing children take priority, followed by children on its waiting list. This is a booking rule, rather than a promise of a particular start date.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered, alongside paid sessions for children who are not yet eligible or who attend beyond fifteen hours a week over a 38-week year. Funding is claimed for 38 weeks, with up to 20 hours a week subject to the child's eligibility. The pre-school also accepts children eligible for two-year funding.

Current prices should form part of the nursery's written quotation. The fees page sets out the session structure; Lunch Club meals are supplied by parents.

Most children move on to Emscote Infant School. Sharing its site does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The preschool experience and the school application remain separate decisions.

• Time to think. The June 2024 improvement action concerned adults moving too quickly between questions. On a visit, ask how practitioners now leave children enough time to consider and answer.
• Afternoon timing. The admissions timetable starts afternoons at 1pm, while the fee timetable starts them at noon; both finish at 3.30pm. Confirm which arrangement applies to the booking you want.
• Younger entry. The usual age range is three to five, while younger admission is restricted and the entry thresholds differ between the admissions and fee arrangements. Families seeking an earlier start should clarify the applicable age and induction plan.
• Funded attendance. Funding is delivered over 38 weeks and depends on eligibility. Ask for a written breakdown covering your intended sessions, Lunch Club and any non-food consumables before committing.

Emscote suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting a full term-time day. Its enclosed garden, varied play spaces and named keyworker make the offer easy to understand, while termly meetings give parents a regular opportunity to discuss development.

The June 2024 concern about questioning deserves attention. For families comfortable with school-holiday closures and packed lunches, this is a preschool centred on shared play, everyday independence and the move towards school.