Paint Pots Montessori School Hyde Park

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff create a safe and welcoming space, where children's well-being is prioritised.

They sensitively tailor their settling-in procedures to each child's needs. For example, staff visit children at home or send a postcard to welcome them to the setting. This helps children to form close and trusting bonds with staff.

Children show that they feel happy, secure and ready to learn as they confidently explore the resources and focus on the things that they enjoy.Staff implement an ambitious curriculum to help all children to progress towards their next stages in learning. For example, they provide lots of interesting ways ...for children to practise their language and literacy skills.

Children delight in learning new skills, such as how to follow recipes or create maps. Staff respond to children's emerging interests and support them to build on what they know and can do. Children thrive in this nurturing environment and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and overall, they support this well. They remind children about using good manners and model how to share and take turns with resources. Children demonstrate good social skills during imaginative role play with their peers.

They listen to each other and cooperate well as they create storylines about serving in a restaurant or staying at a hotel.

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

Leaders recognise the importance of strong partnerships with parents, to provide a consistent approach to children's care and learning. Parents are invited to share in various cultural celebrations and to attend informative workshops, such as on children's nutrition and brain development.

Parents speak highly of the care and education their children receive. They value staff's kind and friendly approach and say that they receive good information about their children's learning.Staff consider children's interests as they plan the activities and provide adaptable materials, which ignite their curiosity and imagination.

For example, children become highly engaged in construction play, using blocks of different shapes and sizes. They think hard about how they can build a model of 'London Bridge' and display perseverance and attention to detail as they try out their ideas.Staff know children very well and have a clear understanding of what they need to learn next.

They promptly identify any gaps in children's learning and work closely with parents and other professionals to provide targeted support. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively, to benefit the children who receive it. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress.

Staff are positive role models. They guide children's behaviour through gentle reminders, such as the need to use 'kind hands' when playing with others. However, staff do not consistently help children to understand the impact of unwanted behaviour.

Consequently, children do not always build upon their ability to regulate their actions and emotions.Children learn that there are lots of fun ways to keep fit and active. They have daily access to the setting's large garden, with plenty of space to run, climb and ride tricycles and scooters.

Staff also provide activities, such as yoga sessions, to further promote children's physical strength and coordination. This helps children to become confident and skilled in using their large muscle movements.Overall, staff support children to become independent with their personal care.

Children become adept at tasks, such as washing up after snack and putting on their coats and shoes. However, staff do not provide consistent messages to children around personal hygiene. For instance, while there are mirrors and tissues available, staff do not always support children to use these when their noses need wiping.

Leaders have good oversight of the provision and are committed to continuous development, to further enrich the curriculum for children. For instance, they have plans to develop a vegetable patch in the garden, to further enhance children's interest in nature and healthy eating. Leaders ensure that staff have regular supervision and training, to help maintain the high quality of teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to provide more consistent guidance for children, to help them to manage their personal hygiene help staff to support children's understanding of behavioural boundaries, to further promote their self-regulation.