Paint Pots Boldre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop meaningful and lasting relationships during their time at the setting. They replicate the interactions they see from staff and show high levels of kindness and respect to one another. Staff recognise the importance that friendships have on children's emotional and social development, and create opportunities for children to maintain their connections with others. For example, staff work with the on-site school to coordinate playtimes, enabling children to catch up with older siblings and friends. This also enables children to become familiar with the school routine and environment, in preparation for their future transitions.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, become highly effective communicators. Staff skilfully and effortlessly engage children in discussion and conversation at every opportunity. They introduce a wide range of vocabulary and provide children with activities that allow them to practise these new words repeatedly. For example, staff model descriptive language, such as 'soft' and 'squishy', as young children feel a ripe pear. Staff model these words again while children manipulate play dough later in the day. Older children learn new words, such as 'windpipe', when naming parts of their body.

Staff provide children with the support and opportunities they need to develop their critical thinking skills and resilience. For example, children play on the stage in the outside area. Staff encourage children to act on their own ideas, as they move the stage steps, creating a gap. Children then consider different ways to create a 'bridge' that will allow smaller children to access the stage without the steps. Children work in collaboration as they transport planks of wood and construct a walkway for their younger friends to use.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Managers are passionate and inspirational. They provide staff with excellent support and a wide range of professional development opportunities. This creates a highly skilled and motivated staff team that places children at the forefront of everything they do. Robust and supportive supervision prioritises staff well-being and workload, ensuring that staff have a healthy work-life balance.
• Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the sequence in which children learn, as they develop children's early literacy skills. For example, staff spark children's interest in letters and sounds by displaying written text alongside pictures. Staff point and sound out the letters as they read for children. This helps children to link text with language. Staff provide children with limitless mark-making opportunities. Children thoroughly enjoy making marks with purpose as they 'write' messages on cards they make for their friends. This prepares children very well for future reading and writing.
• Staff seamlessly weave mathematics into children's play. For example, staff introduce weighing scales to a play dough activity. Staff demonstrate how the scales work and explain what they are used for. Children take turns to weigh and compare differing amounts of play dough. Older children learn that two objects weigh the same when the scales are balanced. These high-quality and meaningful interactions help children to flourish.
• Staff provide children with a wealth of experiences that help them to learn about the world around them. Children spend lots of their time outside in nature. They observe the change in seasons and explore what this means for wildlife. For example, children learn that in winter, some trees and plants produce less food for birds. Children explore what birds eat and make their own bird feeders. They fill them with seeds and hang them on the fence. Staff provide additional resources, such as reference books about birds, binoculars and a toy camera. This helps children to connect new information with what they already know.
• Children gain in-depth knowledge that helps them develop an understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, staff point out hazards in the environment, such as a coat on the floor or an overturned chair. They model a curious approach, while keeping themselves safe. Staff engage children in discussions and ask questions to help them identify why the object presents a risk, and what they could do to make the area safe. Children help staff to take the required action to remove the hazard, such as hanging up the coat.
• Children have outstanding opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children spend lots of their time exploring the great outdoors. They strengthen their core strength and agility as they climb, transport planks of wood when building, and move logs to find insects. Staff also provide children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their fine-motor skills and dexterity. For example, children learn to use tools, such as drills, knives, hole-punchers and staplers, which strengthen their hand control and develop their pincer grip. This prepares children exceptionally well for future writing.
• Managers and staff build and maintain excellent partnerships with parents. They keep them extremely well informed and involved in their children's learning. For example, parents have opportunities to experience pre-school life first hand during stay-and-play sessions. This provides parents with an insight into children's learning and how they can further support children at home. This helps to provide children with a consistent approach to their learning. Parents report highly on the support they receive from staff, who go 'above and beyond' their expectations.