Paintbox

Paintbox Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY386347 Inspection date 01/10/2009 Inspector Susan Ennis

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Setting address Sutton Children's Centre, The Brook, Sutton, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2PU Telephone number 01353 778865 Email paintboxpreschool@tiscali.co.uk Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Paintbox Pre-School registered 2009 and operates from within Sutton Children's Centre, Sutton, Ely. Children have use of a purpose built classroom and a fully enclosed secure outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 25 children may attend the pre-school at any one time and there are currently 47 children on roll. It is open from 9am to 2.45pm five days a week, during school term time only. The morning session is from 9am to 11.30am. Lunch club is from 11.30am to 12.15pm and the afternoon session is from 12:15pm to 2.45pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting offers care to children with learning difficulties and to those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs five members of staff, four of whom hold early years qualifications and one of whom is working towards a qualification. The setting receives support from the Local Authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff create a very welcoming and safe environment in which children thrive. Planning is flexible, taking into account children's likes and dislikes, enabling them to enjoy their time at the pre-school and make good progress in their learning and development. The staff build trusting relationships with parents and carers and keep them well informed about their child's development and the day to day running of the setting. Senior staff lead a culture of reflective practice where all staff work together, to review the settings strengths and areas for improvement and are committed to continuous improvement for all children and families in their care.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop further the use of starting points to more efficiently assess where children are in their development and plan for their next stage of learning  develop further the use of observation and assessment to identify children's learning and any areas of concern or further challenge.  ensure that the contact details for Ofsted are made fully available to the parents. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The knowledge and enthusiasm of the senior staff ensures that all aspects of the provision are well led. The effective implementation of the settings comprehensive policies and procedures support the daily running of the pre-school and ensure that children are offered a safe and secure environment. For example, there are robust procedures for checking that staff are suitable to work the children and a rolling program of training to further increase their childcare knowledge. They all attend first aid training within the first six months of employment and have appropriate knowledge of the procedures to follow relating to safe guarding children ensuring that their welfare is promoted and that they are fully protected at all times. Children are able to move confidently around the setting because staff take effective steps to minimise the hazards. They carry out daily and weekly safety checks of the premises and outside play area and complete comprehensive

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the early years provision

risk assessments at least once a year. Ongoing explanations from staff help the children to gain a good understanding of safety issues, such as discussing why it is important to wipe up the water spilt on the floor when they use the water dispenser.

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the early years provision

Children's individual development is effectively promoted because the setting has good procedures in place to support, monitor and evaluate their progress. The wide and interesting range of available resources, including a varied range reflecting the diverse world in which we live, are enthusiastically used and the all- inclusive, child-friendly environment is conducive to children's learning. For example, low-level labelled storage units encourage children to freely choose what to play with and child-sized furniture ensures that they can all sit comfortably while they play and learn. The setting effectively plans their ongoing sustainability by securing their continued use of the building and encouraging the children to use community projects such as the mobile library.

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the early years provision

The setting effectively and actively promotes equality and diversity enabling to them offer a service that is inclusive for all children and their families. For example, they can make their policies and procedures available in different languages ensuring that they are fully accessible. All children are well integrated and development in relation to their starting points is good. The pre-school effectively helps the children learn and understand the society, in which they live by, for example, introducing figures with disabilities into their small world play and inviting a Bangra dancer to visit the setting and perform some of their art. This was so enjoyed by the children that they later performed what they had learnt at an evening gathering for parents and children held at the local school.

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the early years provision

Staff show a genuine desire to promote the best care and opportunities for children. The ongoing monitoring and reflective practice in place helps to highlight their strengths and areas for improvement. They use feedback from their weekly meeting, the self-evaluation form and parent questionnaires to implement changes to further improve the outcomes for children. For example, home diaries were introduced when parents felt they were not sufficiently informed about their child's time at the pre-school and when parents worried that their children were not This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 always bringing home an item they had made at pre-school, staff held an information session to explain the areas of learning and how children learn through play.

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the early years provision

Effective links with parents and carers and other providers promote integration of care, education and extended services well. Parents are kept well informed about their child's development and are included in their progress. For example, a thorough settling in process which includes a home visit really helps the children's transition from home to pre-school. They are visited by the manager and their key worker who spend time getting to know the child and gaining as much information as they can do from the parent. They also take a photograph of the child so that it can be displayed in time for their starting session building their self-esteem and confidence from the start. Parents then continue to be regularly informed about the setting's good practice and working ethos through comprehensive policies, a parent notice board, regular newsletters and a digital picture frame showing images of the morning’s activities. However, as the complaints procedure does not

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the early years provision

contain the full contact details of Ofsted parents are potentially delayed in raising any concerns they may have. Wider partnership working is encouraged as the pre- school has built up trusting and professional relationships with the adjacent school and other settings in the area. They share relevant information where possible and work effectively to provide a consistent quality of care for all the children who attend.

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and outcomes for children

Children are offered interesting and stimulating opportunities to help them effectively progress and develop across all areas of learning. Good quality information is gained from parents about children's home lives, their likes and dislikes and their stage of development. However, as this information is not used immediately to feed into children's initial assessments, areas of concern or for further challenge may not be highlighted. Staff get to know the children very well and use this information to plan activities linking their preferences with their next steps. For example, when a group of children are making limited progress in using their problem solving skills staff use their good childcare knowledge to link this area of learning with the children's enjoyment of football. They involved the children in a penalty shoot out where they quickly enhanced their calculation skills by working out who had scored the most goals and how many more they would

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and outcomes for children

need to score to win. Staff record children's attainments through use of observation and assessment. However, as these are not always kept up to date, areas of progression or concern are not quickly identified and therefore children's development is not optimally promoted.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning is actively encouraged through focused activities as well as spontaneous discussions. When ice is placed in a bowl with mixing paint and toy animals, children experience the change from ice to water and the affect this has on the powder paint. They then extend the activity by creating pictures with the paint and sorting the animals into those that live in a cold climate and those that come from warmer climbs developing their knowledge and understanding of the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 natural world as they do so. Staff also use their knowledge to incorporate learning experiences through a range of regular activities and resources. For example, all the children take a turn with Gulliver the pre-school bear. He goes home with the children to stay for a few days or more if they are, for example, going on holiday. He arrives with his own flannel and toothbrush encouraging healthy hygiene

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and outcomes for children

practice during his stay. The children then take photographs of him and share his news by writing in his diary. They then tell the pre-school what he has enjoyed on his return, building the children's language and communication skills as well as their memory skills.

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and outcomes for children

During activities, staff consistently support the children in their development. Whilst using the computer children are encouraged to remember how they were taught to print off their pictures the previous day and when they want to write their name on a 'message for their mum' the staff ask questions such as 'what does it needs on it so we know it's yours?' and 'where can you find your name to copy?' helping them think for themselves and find their own solutions. Children enjoy their time at the pre-school, forging friendly relationships with the staff and each other. Their behaviour is good as they learn the settings rules and know that if a red, sad face is put on the wall that their behaviour is not as wanted. They then remind each other of the required behaviours policing the situation themselves and acting as positive role models for each other.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health and welfare is effectively promoted as staff encourage their understanding of healthy living by encouraging them to wash their hands before snack and to eat different types of fruit and vegetables. They grow their own vegetables in the raised flower beds in the outside play area which is also very well used to meet all areas of learning. Children develop their physical skills as they ride the bikes and cars and run to hide as they play hide and seek with the staff. They also increase their knowledge and understanding of the world as they hold head scarves up in the wind, watching how far they float when let go. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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