Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery

Paint Pots Pre-School + Nursery (Shirley) 19 Howard Road, SOUTHAMPTON, SO15 5BB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/11/2013 10/12/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The nursery has a strong partnership with parents and families and effectively involves them in children's learning.  Children enjoy very good relationships with their key person and other staff, which helps them settle quickly on arrival.  Children have access to a wide variety of resources and equipment both inside and outdoors, which enable them to make good progress in all areas of learning.  The nursery's drive for continuous improvement is outstanding. They continually embrace new initiatives to improve outcomes for all children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children's development records are not all maintained or monitored to a high standard to ensure they provide an accurate and sharply focussed record of children's stage of development.  Staff miss opportunities to develop children's independence and self-help skills.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children of all ages and viewed all rooms used.  The inspector discussed nursery practice with the owner and manager.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation including, for example, the nursery's self- evaluation, their policies and procedures and children's development records.

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Information about the setting

Paint Pots Howard Road registered in 2007 and is one of a small group of privately owned nurseries. It operates from a detached, converted house in Shirley, Southampton. The children use playrooms on the ground and first floor. There is a secure garden for outdoor play. The catchment area encompasses a large urban area, as well as commutable areas further outside the city. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday, from 7.45am to 6pm. Children may attend full or part-time. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are currently 131 children on roll, aged from 4 months to 8 years and, of these, 126 are in the early years age group. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as

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Information about the setting

an additional language. The manager holds Early Years Professional Status and Qualified Teacher Status. Additionally there are 12 members of staff working directly with the children. Of these, another member of staff has Early Years Professional Status, six staff are qualified to level 3, one at level 2 and three are currently working towards qualifications. The owners oversee the curriculum; both have achieved Early Years Professional Status.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 strengthen the monitoring of children's development records to ensure they are precise and sharply focussed, with children's next steps updated on an ongoing basis to provide them with maximum opportunities for progression

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 increase children's opportunities for independence through allowing them to pour their own drinks and serve their own food at snack time.

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who attend

Children enjoy themselves at the nursery, where they are supported by kind, caring staff. Parents provide staff with detailed information about their child's starting points in a 'Unique Child' booklet. Staff use this information, together with their ongoing observations of children to help plan for children's continued progression. However, not all development records are maintained or monitored to a high standard, including all those involved in the child's learning. This does not ensure records provide an accurate and sharply focussed assessment of children's stage of development. While key persons know and support their key children well, this means that in their absence other staff will not have accurate records to work from to enable them to help children make maximum progress with their learning. Staff work hard to involve parents and families with children's learning. For example, they invite parents and grandparents to visit the nursery, which enables them to

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who attend

gain a good insight into how children learn through play. Parents also share information about their children's achievements at home by completing 'WOW' moment sheets. Parents confirm they feel 'absolutely involved' with their child's learning and that staff are very good at keeping them informed about their child's development. This is done both informally through discussion and also at termly parents' evenings. Parents are able to view and comment on their child's regular progress reports and also on the detailed written progress checks staff complete on children when they are aged between two and three years.

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who attend

Children have fun as they engage in a variety of activities, which help them develop their knowledge and skills in all areas. They make good progress with their learning and actively explore their environment. The nursery has embraced the 'Every Child a Talker' initiative. Staff incorporate activities to enhance children's communication skills into their planning. Children understand and are familiar with daily routines. Older children gather sensibly together for group time. They listen attentively to staff and enthusiastically experiment with different sound levels as they say 'Hello' to each other using loud, quiet and normal voices. Staff encourage children to share any news they have with their friends and some children confidently stand to do this. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs and allow children to talk at their own pace. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language receive effective

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who attend

support. For example, the nursery obtain key words in children's other languages and have some books representing languages known to children. Specialist teachers also visit the nursery weekly to teach children German and Spanish.

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who attend

Children develop their creative skills as they model with dough. They intently watch staff model how to roll and twist dough to make rings before imitating their actions. Staff encourage children to count how many rings they have made and they confidently count to seven. Staff then challenge children to work out how many they will need if they want to make a ring for each finger. Staff make good use of descriptive and comparative language to develop children's vocabulary and understanding of mathematics. Staff set challenging but achievable targets for children to progress learning. Children rise to the challenge, for example, to build a tower using five different cylindrical wooden blocks. They show very good fine motor control as they carefully balance blocks on top of one another. Staff praise children's achievements, which gives them the confidence to try further challenges.

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who attend

Staff foster children of all ages interest in literature as they read them stories. Older toddlers enthusiastically and energetically demonstrate good listening skills and physical development as they match their actions to the words in nursery rhymes. Younger children enjoy free painting, carefully using a paint brush to make marks on paper. They show an understanding of the natural world as they pick up a toy fish and move it through the air as if it is swimming along. They learn about shape as they play with inset puzzles of fruit.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery's key person system is well-established. Staff work well together to provide a welcoming environment for children and greet children and parents warmly on arrival. Settling-in sessions are successful in supporting children's emotional well-being, both as they start nursery life and as they move between rooms in the nursery. Children's happiness is seen as a priority and if a match between a child and key person is not successful then the key person will be changed to enable a positive relationship to develop. Children have very good relationships with all staff and each other. Staff act as positive role models and children follow their lead and show care and consideration for each other. For example, one child sprinkles flour on another child's modelling dough to make it easier for her to roll. Toddlers show friendship as they reach for each other's hands to hold while singing nursery rhymes. Behaviour management is good and all

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

children behave well as they are actively engaged and happy in their environment. They understand good manners and politely say 'excuse me' when they wish to gain staff or another child's attention.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery is well resourced both indoors and outside. Children have equal opportunity to access a wide variety of resources, which promote learning in all areas to help them prepare for their move to school. Resources are at their level and labelled. Children relax in the positive, caring nursery environment. Staff quickly comfort young children who become tearful when tired and show them tenderness, with appropriate cuddles and kind words, until they are soothed. Children readily turn to staff for support, showing they feel safe and secure in their care. Children learn how to keep themselves safe, for example, as they take part in regular practices of the nursery's fire drill.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children have daily access to fresh air, exercise and a healthy diet, which promotes their understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Parents share written information about their child's specific dietary requirements and this information is shared with both room staff and the cook to ensure children are given appropriate meals. The nursery is currently working towards their local authority's Healthy Eating Early Years Award. Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play where, for example, they enthusiastically kick balls, ride on scooters and have opportunities to use a variety of equipment. Children follow routine hygiene practice as they wash their hands before snack. They enjoy a snack of melon and grapes with a drink of water or milk. However, staff miss opportunities to promote independence by allowing children to serve themselves. Staff follow routine hygiene practices by cleaning tables before children eat and wearing gloves and aprons, as appropriate, when serving

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provision

The leadership and management of the nursery are good and they understand their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development, and safeguarding and welfare requirements. Arrangements for safeguarding children are good. Robust recruitment procedures ensure all staff are vetted and suitable to work with children. Staff are confident with the procedures to follow with any safeguarding concerns and all staff access safeguarding, first aid and food hygiene training. The inspection took place following concerns raised about meeting children's dietary requirements. The inspection found that there had been one incident involving a misunderstanding about the provision of food for a child. Management took immediate steps to ensure systems for detailing children's specific dietary requirements were improved and there have been no repeated incidents. Staff carry out daily safety checks to enable children to play safely. The

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provision

premises are kept secure and risk assessments are in place for outings staff take children on. Staff are vigilant to safety and record any issues as they arise so action can be taken to address them. Monitoring systems are in place to keep a check on children's development, although these have not been highly rigorous in ensuring all records show a true reflection of children's abilities.

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provision

The nursery has strong relationships with parents. Children benefit significantly from these positive partnerships, which promote a joined-up approach to meeting their needs. Parents are extremely happy with the provision for their children. They think the nursery is 'totally outstanding' and 'cannot speak highly enough of it'. They confirm the nursery keep them well informed about their practice and state that their children 'really thrive' there. Staff also work effectively with others involved in children's care and education as the need arises. The leadership and management's drive for continuous improvement is outstanding. Staff performance is monitored through ongoing supervision and appraisal meetings and their ongoing professional development is supported. The nursery is proactive in continually embracing new initiatives to improve outcomes for all children. Each room has targets for improvement, which are updated at every staff meeting and the

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provision

nursery is planning to embark on a quality assurance scheme. They have made numerous improvements to their practice, for example, with the introduction of language lessons for children and the introduction of a physical activity and nutritional coordinator to champion healthy lifestyles.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY362370 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 934121 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 131 Name of provider Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 10/12/2012 Telephone number 02380223548

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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