Paint Pots Pre School and Nursery

Paint Pots Pre School and Nursery Kings Centre, 26 Quob Lane, West End, SOUTHAMPTON, SO30 3HN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2013 02/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching and educational programmes, from babies through to children preparing for school, is excellent.  Systematic and extremely high standards of assessment and clearly identified 'next steps' in children's development, help all staff to provide challenging learning experiences so that all children make the best possible progress from their starting points.  Children are exceptionally well prepared for their moves within the setting and for school.  Staff are inspiring role models for the children, leading by example and taking the time to explain their high expectations for children's behaviour.  Staff consistently give the highest priority to the safety of children and support their growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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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 compulsory part 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 the deployment of staff, activities and care routines in each of the rooms and outdoor play areas and talked with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment, behaviour management and the pre-school's planning and evaluation documents, and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records, progress checks and tracking, and accident and incident records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, checked the complaints log and reviewed information available from parents' written comments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the provider, the manager and the curriculum manager and observed practice with them.

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Information about the setting

Paint Pots Pre-school and Nursery at Quob Lane is one of seven settings owned and run by Paint Pots Pre-school and Nursery Ltd. This setting registered in 2010 and operates from rooms in Kings Centre in West End, Southampton. Children access enclosed outdoor play areas. The pre-school and nursery serve the community in West End and the surrounding areas. The nursery opens each weekday from 7.45am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. Pre-school sessions are from 8.30am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm, term time only. The pre-school and nursery are registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 87 children on roll aged from three months to five years. The nursery and pre-school receive funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery and pre-school support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and

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Information about the setting

those children who speak English as an additional language. At present there are 11 members of staff who work with the children including the cook. Nine members of staff hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3 and two more staff are working towards qualifications at level 3. Of those already qualified, one is working towards an early years foundation degree. The Paint Pots company employ a practitioner with Early Years Professional status who works in this and the other settings. Both owners are active practitioners in all the settings and both hold Early Years Professional status.

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

 continue to review staff to child ratios and the excellent deployment of staff as new outdoor areas are developed.

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who attend

Staff are highly effective at meeting the needs of the range of children who attend. Children of all ages settle in extremely well as the familiar framework of daily routines is filled with new and challenging opportunities for learning and development. Excellent teaching, combined with the care staff take to get to know children's starting points, help children to rapidly become happy and confident learners. For example, exceptionally attentive staff quickly recognise and help develop babies' early vocal play and use of first words. They provide a highly stimulating environment and encourage babies to reach, explore and manipulate an extensive range of toys, instruments and books. A clear, low- level divide, keeps babies safe, but still able to see all the action in the toddler group. They enjoy playing peek-a-boo with the toddlers, make friendships and begin to understand the rich diversity of activities organised by the staff. This knowledge, along

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who attend

with careful preparation from the baby team, makes moves to toddlers smooth and enjoyable. Toddlers move freely, ably choosing from farm animals, construction or battery-operated toys stored in low-level clear sets of drawers. Children already know that batteries are required to make some toys work and turn to nearby staff to help them 'fix' things. Another member of staff extends a pretend outing to the shops as she prompts children to think about what they want to buy, eat or cook for tea. Children's imaginations are further stimulated when they take their baskets into the outdoor play area to set up shop. Staff successfully adapt to children's interests, capturing and enriching children's learning potential so they try and succeed in new skills.

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who attend

Excellent education programmes are evident across the setting. For example, some boys show an interest in using a tape measure. Staff amend their planning accordingly and offer to take interested children outside to search the autumn leaves for small, medium and large sticks. They talk through the risks of hurting each other with sticks. Staff draw parallels with children's knowledge of holding and walking with scissors so they all understand how to manage the risks and keep safe. Staff constantly model the mathematical language of measurement and comparison while children sort the sticks. Children begin to understand and use terms such as 'tiny' 'bigger' and 'longest'. Younger children play with these concepts further by chalking lines of different lengths on the playground. Experienced staff challenge older children to measure the 'distance between' playground railings, beginning at 'zero' and 'testing out' if all measurements are 'equal'. All

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who attend

children's needs are met as highly reflective staff have clear expectations for children's learning, knowing each child's starting points and readiness to be challenged. The quality of teaching across all age groups of children is very effective with children making significant progress in all aspects of their learning.

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who attend

Children of all ages make excellent progress because they are fully engaged by one stimulating learning experience after another. These are prepared or guided by staff who are highly motivated and extremely knowledgeable about the children in their care. All staff record observations of children's achievements during each day. Each child has a 'key person' who brings these observations together in a developmental record and identifies the next steps to nurture, look out for, and celebrate. The key person system is highly effective at liaising with parents formally and informally to share their knowledge of children's progress and interests. Staff and parents discuss written updates and next steps in all areas of learning on a termly basis. These, along with the progress check for two- year-olds, focus each of them on children's achievements and any gaps in learning. Consequently, further challenges or interventions occur promptly. The setting has

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who attend

extremely good access to additional expertise and specialist support from both within the chain of pre-schools and across the local area. Quickly addressing any concerns closes gaps in children's experiences and engages any additional support necessary to keep children moving forward. Similarly children who benefit from an enriched programme of learning continue to flourish through highly stimulating and thought provoking activities.

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who attend

Parents with older siblings who have made the move from Paint Pots to the local primary school comment on how effective the children's preparation is. They speak highly of the staff working with them and their children and appreciate the systems in place to exchange updates on their children's progress. Grandparents and dads who collect children from school are also fully engaged in the activities of the pre-school. The chain of nurseries includes male practitioners and is mindful of some of the challenges that dads as well as mums experience when juggling work, childcare and education. Activities such as 'grandparents' reading day', 'Dads' breakfast', 'Mums' pamper day' and invitations to join the children for lunch, all help include the whole family in the children's learning and development. This supports continuity in learning as achievements and activities spread enthusiastically across home and pre-school.

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

Staff are extremely attentive and caring and make an outstanding contribution to the well- being of the children. The warmth and unabated interest of staff in children's achievements helps children feel valued and confident to explore further afield. They approach trusted adults and initiate conversations, asking them for help or simply sharing something funny with them. This confidence stems from the security of an effective key person system, which firmly embeds knowledge of children's needs, preferences and home routines. Parents with babies and toddlers at the setting find the daily diaries and updates with staff particularly reassuring. Parents of children in the pre-school class comment on their trusting long-term relationships with experienced members of staff. Most parents are comfortable in approaching staff should they have any concerns or special requests. The key person system is highly effective and staff meet children's needs

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

exceptionally well on a day-to-day basis.

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

Older children listen respectfully to the guidance of their key person, because they know she balances keeping them safe with exciting challenges that she also has in store from them. As staff talk through their reasoning, children learn to manage risks suitable for their age. For example, children wanting to play with scooters and tricycles know to stand back from the shed door to ensure that all wheels are firmly on the ground before they enthusiastically make their choices. Younger children know to hold the rails when they use the staircase of their indoor playhouse. As staff guide children towards greater responsibilities in taking care of themselves and each other the children learn increasing levels of self-control and confidence in social situations. Behaviour is good because children are actively engaged in what they are doing, and have established systems and expectations for sharing resources.

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

The setting's motto is 'love, laughter and learning' and this ethos is evident throughout their work with all ages of children. Children thoroughly enjoy playing with their friends in the indoor playhouse. One group acts out their familiar experiences in the kitchen area, while another group explores the dressing up clothes in the next room. They experiment with different outfits, persisting with fasteners and varying the ways they wear clothing. Imaginative play is greatly enhanced by the series of rooms and spaces in this large, two storey playhouse. Low ceilings and small doorways clearly focus staff on acting out daily events from the children's perspective. It also provides children with smaller areas of play where they can more easily hear their friends and are less distracted by larger construction and computer games in the rest of the room. Children are involved and concentrating on their chosen activities for longer periods so they achieve more, especially

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

as staff are always nearby to add in a new idea. The imaginative play area outside is currently being refurbished, but other outdoor areas include beds for planting, areas for playing with toys in the mud and space for a new mud kitchen. A large sandpit and 'baby' friendly area have recently been added following initiatives from the onsite 'Physical activity and nutritional coordinator'. A big covered area surrounded by seating provides an inviting place to play and read on rainy days. This is a highly stimulating environment both inside and outdoors. Children of all ages benefit from considerable choice as to where they play, and what stimulates their interests and imaginations. Staff encourage children to resolve their own conflict and model techniques for negotiation and tolerance of each other's view point. This is excellent preparation for children adding on outside activities, new social networks and ultimately getting ready for

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

Staff extensively promote healthy, active ways of life. The cook used to work with the teaching team at the setting. She is therefore, in an excellent position to encourage children to try new foods and think about healthy options. Meals are cooked on site and healthy eating initiatives are constantly being advanced. Staff are scrupulous in following company guidelines in areas such as hand washing and nappy changing to promote the children's good health. Daily events such as lunchtime and naptime are very well organised to meet the needs of the different age groups. Children learn about the importance of daily hygiene and teeth cleaning. They become increasingly adept at using cutlery and in tidying away their cups and plates. Children eat around small tables to encourage conversations with each other and with staff. Here children and staff discuss past and potential activities, share ideas and review and evaluate the potential

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

effectiveness of their decisions. Staff are very well deployed so that children's social and emotional needs are addressed within all aspects of their daily routines and play. As a result, children make very good progress across all areas of learning and are emotionally well prepared for their moves to school.

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provision

Inspirational leadership, dedicated management and highly effective team working result in an outstanding setting clearly aimed at supporting children to achieve their full potential. The setting's owners are both highly qualified early years professionals who so much enjoyed running a nursery in their own home that they gradually extended their services to include seven local settings. Other experienced early years teachers support the chain of settings as they continuously strive to improve the education of children in their care. The manager has worked across several of these settings and with her colleagues, visits pre-schools in other parts of Europe to share good practice. She has an open door policy and aims to make herself available to talk through any concerns parents may have on the doorstep or in the quiet of her office to promote good partnership working.

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provision

The leadership team have high expectations for their staff and support them accordingly with additional guidance from specialists working across the chain of pre-schools. Their curriculum manager holds Early Years Professional status and moderates all the monitoring and assessment of children's progress. Through a stringent programme to maintain high standards of learning, she ensures that all children make the best possible progress, across all areas of learning. This identifies children with particular strengths or challenges so they receive the additional support they need. Staff also undertake regular training, either in-house or through recognised courses. This increases their knowledge base and extends their practice skills to enhance the outcomes for children even further.

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provision

The evaluation of children's learning and welfare occurs routinely to see if there are ways to further improve the pre-school. For example, a number of changes to the outdoor play areas are underway following use of the Infant/Toddler and Childhood Environment Rating Scales. Evaluation of accident and incident forms for all bumps and bruises also occurs frequently to check that parents are aware of what happened, what was done, and by whom, to manage the situation and help protect children's well-being. Careful analysis of the number and type of incidents helps identify trends, with playground grazes from enthusiastic use of the large open space topping the list. As a result, the setting is recruiting an additional member of staff to enhance supervision in the outdoor spaces to promote children's safety. Ratios of staff to children are already well within the legal requirements and staff are well deployed and very attentive. However, the pre-school has

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provision

a wide range of stimulating environments indoors and outdoors so another member of staff will be a further asset.

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provision

All staff have attended safeguarding training and are confident of the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of concerns about children, or an allegation against a member of staff. Systems to appoint new staff are robust and recruitment and vetting procedures support the pre-school's commitment to safeguarding. Excellent induction programmes, regular supervision, appraisals and performance management practices help to ensure that all staff remain suitable to work with young children. Clear behaviour policies and procedures guide staff in how to talk with children and manage children's behaviour across a wide range of situations. Experienced members of staff use very skilled practice as they maintain the enthusiasm and focus of a group of lively boys in one of the outdoor areas.

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provision

All mandatory documentation for the safe management of the pre-school is in place and is accurately maintained. For example, there are recently reviewed policies and procedures for everything from the application of sun cream to the absence of mobile 'phones in the teaching rooms and complaints. All parents receive a summary pack when they join the setting, and the full range of policies and procedures may be obtained on request. The folder of risk assessments for activities within the pre-school and for outings is also comprehensive to keep children safe and available to parents on request. All measures to try and keep children safe, and keep staff focused on their safety are in place and reviewed regularly.

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provision

The quality of information for parents is excellent, with plenty of opportunities for parents to enjoy informal as well as more formal feedback on their children's progress. The pre- school works well with the local community, and helps to engage children and parents with various charitable community projects in their location and in developing countries. Children collect 'good as new' clothing and toys for local families in need, and link with a charity for children who are HIV positive or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in Kenya. Projects that the children can understand are chosen to help them begin to learn about inequalities in the world. For example, a photograph of an outdoor toilet cubicle is proudly on display as children raised money to buy a toilet for children who did not have one. Staff from the pre-school are also actively engaged in many other early years initiatives in their local area. They have excellent professional networks which they

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provision

use to secure appropriate interventions for children and to help them make smooth moves into school. Parents with older siblings who have already moved to school comment that the children are very well prepared by the highly nurturing staff at Paint Pots pre-school and nursery.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY411817 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 943625 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 87 Name of provider Paint Pots Pre-School & Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 02/02/2011 Telephone number 02380 476 942

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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