Little Munchkins Montessori Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment, where children demonstrate they feel happy, safe and secure. Children eagerly come into the nursery and engage in play with their friends. They are motivated to learn and confidently explore the interesting resources on offer.

Staff's interactions enhance children's knowledge and skills as they play. For instance, children are interested in the world and the different countries. Staff then use this to extend their knowledge further as they set up activities looking at whether things belong in the air, sea or on land.

Babies are very happy and settled. Staff get to know the...m well. Successful settling-in processes help staff to find out valuable information that assists children to settle quickly into nursery life.

Staff build lovely relationships with babies and provide a range of activities to engage them and support their learning. For example, babies delight in playing hide and seek with different objects. They search through sensory materials and call out when they have found something.

Staff act as good role models for language. For instance, they say the name of the object clearly for babies to repeat. Overall, children are well behaved.

They are kind and considerate to each other, and learn to take turns and share toys. However, at times, staff do not consistently use effective strategies when dealing with children's unwanted behaviour.

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

The new management team is dedicated and passionate about providing the best-quality care and education for all children and their families.

It has a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. The management team takes into account the views of staff, children and parents when making changes to improve outcomes for children.The manager and staff have a good understanding of their curriculum and what they want children to learn.

Staff skilfully provide teaching that builds on what children already know and can do. They provide activities that follow children's interests and what they need to learn next. For example, children develop their imaginations as they enjoy playing with farm animals in straw.

Staff encourage them to use the resources to retell their own story, further supporting children's early literacy skills.Staff work well with parents and share regular information with them about their children's learning and development. Parents attend regular meetings to discuss their children's progress and have access at home to their child's observations.

Parents confirm that their children enjoy coming to the nursery. They appreciate the support they receive from the friendly and approachable staff.Staff actively look for ways to develop children's understanding of the world around them and of communities and families beyond their own.

They broaden children's experiences by providing activities that reflect different cultures. Parents are invited in to share information with children about their families' religions and their different cultures.The management team has recently reviewed staff's workload and has reduced the amount of paperwork they were completing.

Staff's well-being is clearly very important and they are well supported. The management team uses regular supervision, guidance and meetings to help to improve and develop staff's teaching skills.The manager and staff work well with schools, professionals and local services to make sure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need.

Dedicated staff work closely with children, providing one-to-one time, targeted activities and small-group sessions to ensure that all children make the best possible progress.Staff are good role models for behaviour and, overall, children behave well. However, at times, some staff do not consistently use effective strategies to deal with any unwanted behaviour.

As a result, some children are not always clear of the behaviour that is expected of them.Overall, staff support children's communications skills effectively. With babies, they role model good language skills, speaking slowly and clearly so babies can repeat key words.

With older children, staff encourage children to share their views and ideas. However, at times, some staff ask limiting questions that do not extend children's thinking skills further.Staff support children to develop good independence.

For example, they encourage babies to feed themselves at mealtimes. Older children learn to dress themselves before going outside. They confidently cut up their own snack during snack time and serve themselves at mealtimes.

Children enjoy playing outside and have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They experience safe risk and challenge. For instance, they climb and balance on climbing equipment and enjoy learning about the natural world.

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 all staff to consistently support children to clearly understand the type of behaviour that is expected from them help staff to build on their interactions with children to further extend children's learning.

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