Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery

Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery 244 Burgess Road, SOUTHAMPTON, SO16 3AU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/05/2014 10/11/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 staff are skilled and sensitive in helping children of all ages form strong emotional attachments. This enables all children to develop a good sense of belonging and explore their environment confidently.  A rich and stimulating play and learning environment motivates and engages children. The exciting outdoor area is open for most of the day, providing ample opportunities for uninterrupted play.  The staff interact and support children well in their progress towards the early learning goals.  The management team ensure safeguarding children is given a high priority.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasions, staff do not offer further challenge and differentiation for children during adult-led activities.

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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's play and the staff's interactions with them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the children's starting points and progress with the key person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled and discussed relevant documentation including safeguarding documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a discussion with parents, the provider, manager and quality assurance manager.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery is one of eight nurseries run by Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery Ltd. It opened in 2007 using the premises of an existing nursery. It operates from the main building and a portacabin. It is situated in Southampton near to the University and the hospital. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 104 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school and nursery are open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are 15 members of staff including the manager who work with the children. Of these 13 have a recognised early years qualification. These include one with qualified teacher status and two with foundation degrees. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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

 strengthen the good quality teaching by offering further challenge and differentiation for children during adult-led activities.

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who attend

The nursery staff have a good understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Together with the good management support, staff create a rich and enabling learning environment both indoors and out. Children busily make choices from a wide range of interesting and challenging play activities that cover all the areas of learning. In addition to this, staff make detailed adult-led activity plans which links to children's next learning steps. This means that children make good progress, given their starting points and abilities. The successful balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities enables children to access a variety of experiences based on their interests and individual styles of learning. Children become absorbed in what they do and show good motivation and positive learning attitudes. For example, outside pre-school children sit at a table in the undercover area and draw

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who attend

imaginatively. They describe the dragon they are drawing so the member of staff talks about dragons, extending their knowledge and language skills. She draws one herself and includes the scales on its body which children copy, promoting their expressive art and design. Overall, the staff have good teaching skills; they interact with children purposefully, effectively building on their communication skills, particularly with the youngest babies. Warm, playful interaction takes place between key children and their key person during routines such as nappy changing. The member of staff talks in a 'sing song' voice about what she is doing and tunes in successfully to the babies' needs. They introduce numbers from an early age, role modelling 'one leg and two legs' during the regular routines. Babies are given good support to complete simple inset puzzles and share a book together with staff sat cosily on the sofa being cuddled. Babies hear lots of

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who attend

expressive communication from the adults which echoes and extends their own vocalisations. Good systems are in place to support children learning English as an additional language because staff wear picture cards to help children understand and learn English words and phrases. In addition, they gain and use children's home language from their parents.

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who attend

Although the adult-led planned activities meet the identified learning aims of the children staff do not always offer children further challenge and differentiation. For example, pre- school children enjoy participating in independently making their own pizzas. They develop good physical and self-help skills as they chop up the vegetables and toppings with knives. The staff member is careful to promote speaking skills by clearly talking about the food they are using and asking open questions to make them think and express themselves. For example, what are were going to do with the pizzas now? What will happen to them? However, opportunities to promote mathematics are not taken up by the staff member because this is not the focus of the activity. In addition, words are not used in children's home language for those children learning English as an additional language. This means that some opportunities to promote other areas of learning are sometimes missed.

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who attend

Nonetheless, children learn mathematics in other planned focused activities such as going outside in a small group to draw on the chalk boards and learn about two-dimensional shapes. Staff have recently undertaken refresher training on how to promote mathematics in play. Young toddlers have opportunities to dig in the sand outdoors and make marks and shapes using a good variety of tools. They have fun being active learners, exploring the properties of sand and water as they repeatedly move it from one area to the other. The staff are on hand, talking to the children and providing a narrative of what they are doing to aid their learning and development. The staff use effective assessment and planning methods which includes the progress check for two-year-old children. Planning is closely focused on children's next steps in learning, so that activities can be targeted at children's interests and abilities. As a result, all children make effective progress in their

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who attend

learning and development, giving them a good foundation for their future life.

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

The nursery operates an effective key-person system, which has a positive effect on children's emotional well-being. This means that key people build strong relationships with the children and their families from the settling in period and beyond. Children demonstrate they have built secure attachments to their special people who get to know the children very well. For example, young children go to their key person for a cuddle and smile broadly demonstrating a sense of belonging. Older children demonstrate cooperative skills in their play, taking turns and sharing the toys. They invite their friends to play with them in imaginative play outdoors such as using home-made fishing rods on the pirate ship. Children understand routines, such as tidy-up time. They behave very well. Overall, the staff are good role models and when, on the rare occasion they are not, management take stringent action. The staff are careful to give children lots of praise and recognition of

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

their good behaviour, so they consistently receive positive messages. Children learn how to keep safe because the staff give them clear guidance. Sleeping toddlers are regularly checked by staff and children are supervised well by staff to keep them safe.

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

Children have good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. The nursery has a physical activity nutritional coordinator who monitors each age group to ensure they take part in regular physical challenges such as an obstacle course. This is alongside plenty of uninterrupted outdoor play using wheeled toys and the small climbing equipment. Children's nutritional needs are met well because they tuck into home-cooked well- balanced meals at midday cooked by the onsite chef. Children quickly adopt good hygiene habits because staff consistently support well-established routines. For example, they ensure all children wash their hands after playing in the garden, using the toilet and before eating. The staff create a stimulating learning environment for the different age groups of children. Equipment, toys and resources are stored at children's height so that all children can easily see where things are. Children's art work is visible on the walls and

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

interesting displays such as the nature/spring displays, show the good educational programme offered. The staff have skilfully arranged areas where children can sit on cushions to relax or play quietly when they choose. The enabling environment provides successfully for children's all round development.

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provision

The provider and management team have a very good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They take seriously any complaints and rigorously investigate staff issues of underperformance such as staff arguing in front of children and parents. All staff undergo suitability checks and take part in a robust induction programme so they are completely aware of their roles and responsibilities. The staff team has a secure understanding of the child protection procedure to take when concerns are raised about children's welfare. This includes a very secure understanding of the whistle blowing procedure, which is also shared with visitors on arrival at the setting. Staff record accidents and existing injuries, and management follows up on unexplained injuries that staff record. The accident record is monitored by management and adjustments are made as necessary. For example, they change the layout of the outdoors into zones to reduce

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provision

accidents. The staff carefully follow and implement their well understood policy and procedure for assessing risks and hazards to children to ensure they are minimised or removed. This includes the current building work in the building next door. As a result, all children play and learn in a safe and secure environment.

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provision

Supervision, training and the coaching of staff is of good quality with ample opportunities to discuss staff's strengths and areas for development. Regular in house training takes place with the other Paint Pots nursery staff to ensure the setting is continually evaluating and moving forward in terms of quality of their provision. They have very recently changed to an on-line recording system for observation, assessment and planning for individual children, which is proving highly successful with staff and parents. The nursery self-evaluation systems are accurate and involve parents, children and staff in this self- reflective practice. From this management devises a lengthy action plan. Currently the nursery are working towards refurbishing the next door building to house babies and toddlers together. The nursery has a strong partnership with its parents who report very positively about the setting. Currently, parents of babies receive detailed information

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provision

about their children's day and activities through a care diary and verbal handovers. Parents talk fondly about their key person with whom they talk to regularly and share their learning journey records with. This is either face-to-face or daily on-line through the new record system. Good home links are established through effective systems. For example, information sacks give guidance and support for families through children's developmental milestones such as the potty training process. The nursery is a key part of the community. It has built a good partnership with the childminders, pre-schools, and schools to ensure they gain and pass on a full picture of every child's individual needs. The management and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the importance of partnership working. They liaise successfully with outside agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This effective partnership with external agencies and

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provision

services secures appropriate intervention in helping children reach their full potential.

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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 EY348221 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 976362 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 104 Name of provider Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 10/11/2010 Telephone number 02380 582589

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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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