Paint Pots Preschool And Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle very quickly on arrival. They are warmly welcomed by staff, who gently support children to put away their belongings and complete the self-registration board. Staff and children form exceptionally caring and trusting relationships with each other. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff promote children's understanding about the 'golden rules' and boundaries extremely well. This helps children to develop their awareness about how their behaviour may affect themselves and others. Children demonstrate kindness and consideration to others.

Staff plan and provide an exciting and engaging learning environment, indoors and outdoors. They have an excellent understanding of their key children's learning needs, including those who need extra support. Staff develop an in-depth knowledge of children's interests and the learning intentions of the activities they plan. As a result, all children's learning is supported exceptionally well to prepare them for the next stage of their learning.

Children become absorbed in their learning. They develop their concentration skills incredibly well as they investigate activities. Staff provide high levels of interactions to children to support their learning and development. For instance, they skilfully encourage children to recall information and to share and explain their ideas. This helps children to become highly confident communicators. Overall, staff know and implement their roles and responsibilities to a high standard.

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

• Staff and leaders form superb partnerships with parents. This helps staff to understand and support children's needs and backgrounds highly successfully from the start. Parents are extremely complimentary about the support they and their children receive. Staff use additional funding with the utmost care and consideration to enhance children's experiences. For example, they have further improved the role-play area to support children's play and interactions. As a result, children build friendships extremely well and widen their vocabulary.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) exceptionally well. They implement professional guidance, individual education plans and strategies to meet children's individual needs, including visual communication cards, one-to-one support and activities. These contribute to children's swift progress. Staff precisely monitor all children's development and progress. This helps them to act quickly to close any gaps in children's learning.
• Staff and leaders implement a curriculum that is focused extremely well on what children need to learn. They plan very successful activities, which provide children with new experiences, knowledge and skills. For example, staff buy books specifically aimed at increasing children's interest in exploring these. They ensure books are easily accessible to children throughout the environment.
• Leaders are dedicated and inspiring to the staff team. They have excellent practice which they model to other staff. Leaders provide well-thought-out support, training and professional development to staff. They consider staff's well-being with care and consideration. Leaders plan for improvement, including implementing action plans to raise the quality of the provision further. At times, staff do not consistently provide the highest levels of practice, such as when organising lunchtime routines.
• Staff skilfully incorporate learning during play and interactions with children. They increase children's mathematical awareness and understanding during planned and spontaneous activities. For example, staff consistently encourage children to explore and compare different sizes and to recall and match numbers. Children are highly motivated learners, who gain a wide range of skills and knowledge over time to help them become ready for school.
• Staff create effective opportunities for children to develop their independence and gain a sense of responsibility. Children are keen to help, such as sweeping up sand and cleaning tables. They are highly confident to ask for help when needed. Children help to prepare healthy snacks. They gain concentration skills, such as when safely using knives to cut up fruit.
• Staff positively promote inclusion and respect for others. For example, they explain to children about why they use and teach Makaton to support communication with others. Staff encourage parents to bring in cultural food from home for children to eat. Staff skilfully teach children how to recognise their feelings and emotions. They model positive behaviours, such as politeness to children. Staff organise additional activities that help children learn to manage their feelings and behaviours, including yoga sessions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's practice further to help them to consistently implement their roles and responsibilities at the highest level.