Paint Pots Preschool @ St Marks

Paint Pots Pre-school & Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY427548 Inspection date 26/04/2012 Inspector Fiona Robinson

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Setting address St. Marks C of E Junior School, Stafford Road, SOUTHAMPTON, SO15 5TE Telephone number 023 8077 2968 Email info@st-marks.southampton.sch.uk Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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 assesses 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 0300 123 1231, 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.

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T: 0300 123 1231 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

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

Paint Pots Pre-school and Nursery at St Mark's is one of seven settings owned and run by Paint Pots Pre-school and Nursery Ltd. It was registered in 2011 and operates from a room in St Mark's Church of England Junior School in Shirley, Southampton, in Hampshire. There is ramped disability access to the building. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area and have the use of the school field, playground and hall. There is provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language. It is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The setting may care for no more than 32 children under eight years, of whom, not more than 32 may be in the early years age group. Of these, none may be under two years at any one time. There are currently 43 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age

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Description of the setting

group. Of these, 36 three to four-year-olds receive funding. It is open each weekday from 8.45am to 3.15pm for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of the sessions on offer, from the host school, the community in Shirley and surrounding areas. There are six members of staff who work with the children. Of these one has Early Years Professional Status; one holds a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 4; four hold NVQs at level 3 or the equivalent, one of whom holds a degree in Special Educational Needs. The pre-school 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

Children behave extremely well and make good progress because they are fully included in a wide range of experiences. They access a good range of enjoyable activities which take account of their learning needs and interests, although access to information and communication technology and problem solving experiences are more limited. Partnerships with parents and carers, the host school and outside agencies are outstanding and information is shared very effectively. Children are kept exceptionally safe and safe are highly skilled at increasing their understanding of how to make safe choices. The manager and staff have a good knowledge of where their strengths and areas for development lie and there is good capacity for continued improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop problem solving and investigatory experiences in the outdoor environment  improve the range and use of technology to support children's learning and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development.

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the early years provision

Children's safety is promoted exceptionally well because comprehensive policies and procedures are fully implemented. Staff have an outstanding awareness of safeguarding and child protection procedures. The premises are very secure and risk assessments are carried out regularly to ensure the indoor and outdoor environments are kept safe. Staff, parents and carers are very familiar with the rigorous procedures for the collection of children and staff are deployed very effectively to ensure the highest level of safety. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that adults working with or having contact with the children are highly suitable. Staff practise fire drills regularly with the children to familiarise them with the emergency evacuation procedures. Children access a wide range of well-maintained resources. The manager and leadership team demonstrate strong ambition and drive and continuous reflective discussion takes place on future

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the early years provision

development. They meet regularly with staff to discuss, planning, assessment and areas for improvement, such as the use of the outdoor area. Currently, the outside environment does not provide enough challenge for children to investigate and solve problems and this limits the development of these skills. Staff make effective use of a mostly good range of resources to support children's learning. Planning indicates that opportunities are sometimes missed to make the fullest use of technology, such as computers and digital cameras, in activities to enable children to record and share their experiences with one another. There is excellent involvement of children in daily routines and activities because staff promote equality and diversity extremely well in the pre-school. They provide excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language, so that they make similar progress to

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the early years provision

their peers. Activities are regularly monitored and children achieve well because they are set challenging targets. Good self-evaluation processes ensure that improvements have a significant impact on the children's experiences and take into consideration the views of parents and carers. Partnerships with parents and carers, the host school and a range of outside agencies are outstanding. Parents and carers say they are kept fully informed of their children's achievement and progress because key staff share their children's 'learning journey' records with them on a regular basis. They receive very clear, comprehensive information through informal discussions, newsletters, the website and the parents' notice board. Parents feel the staff are very caring and approachable and their children enjoy themselves in the bright, stimulating environment. They are very supportive of special events, such as the fun day community event, outings to the shops and

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the early years provision

fundraising activities. Links with the host school are outstanding and children experience a smooth transition into full-time education. Staff liaise extremely well with the host school and children benefit from the use of the playground and field. There are outstanding partnerships with outside agencies that help staff to support the needs of the children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from well-organised activities and achieve well in most areas. Staff value their ideas and interests and include these in their planning and organisation of activities. They regularly monitor the children's achievements and progress and skilfully use the information gained to help children to build on their existing skills. Themes such as All About Me and Spring enrich and enhance their experiences. Children behave extremely well because staff are excellent role models with high expectations and a consistent approach to managing behaviour. They show great respect for others and willingly share their toys and resources. Children respond very well to staff's constant attention and develop high self-esteem. They are independent in their choice of activity and respect the golden rules and boundaries which they helped staff to compile. Children gain an outstanding appreciation of the wider world through activities and festivals which look at the significance of

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and outcomes for children

Diwali, the Chinese New Year, Easter and St George's Day. Staff also tell them about lifestyles and customs in Italy, Wales, India and Poland as part of the Around the World topic. Children develop a good understanding of keeping themselves healthy. They learn to make healthy choices at snack time and realise the importance of taking exercise. Their physical skills are developed well as they balance on apparatus, ride their pedalled vehicles and dance. Children say they feel very safe and secure. Staff help them to develop an excellent understanding of keeping themselves and others safe. They ensure that children learn about fire, water and road safety and organise talks from the emergency services. Children benefit from these experiences and relish opportunities to practise their road safety skills in the outdoor area. They use equipment very safely as they make fruit salads and sandwiches for snack time. Children are keen to come to pre-school

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and outcomes for children

and respond well to the care and support they are given. Their communication, language and literacy skills are developed well through their work on letters and sounds. Children use their imaginations well as they act out the story of The Three Little Pigs. They gain a good understanding of sign language and respond well to signs and symbols. Most children can count to twenty and beyond by the time they leave pre-school and recognise two-dimensional shapes in the indoor and outdoor environments. Creativity is developed well through activities such as printing patterns with fruit and vegetables and completing self-portraits for their art gallery. Children tunefully sing songs such as Five Current Buns to practise their counting skills. They are able to complete simple programs on the computer; however opportunities to extend their skills using the digital camera are sometimes missed. Children enjoy role play in the doctor's surgery and cooperate well as they fill

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and outcomes for children

containers with water and search for numbers in sand. They are eager to search for insects in their garden and benefit from nature walks to the local park. Overall, children are prepared well for future learning experiences and full time education. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 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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