Parkfield Montessori Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive eager to play and explore. The manager has adapted daily routines, in view of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to ensure the good health of children. Drop-off and collection arrangements have been altered so that parents and carers no longer come into the pre-school.

Families are greeted warmly by the manager at the door. Children enjoy being in the pre-school garden. They ride on tricycles with their friends and take risks as they negotiate the space around them.

Children are keen to share their experiences with their friends and the staff. They think about how they can solve problems in their play.... For example, children experiment and use different tools to try and turn screws into wooden blocks.

They demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Older children ask if other children are OK and if they want to join them in their play.

They show care and consideration towards each other. Children show good manners at lunch and snack time. They respond well to staff's guidance and support.

Children have close relationships with staff and their friends. This helps to build their high levels of self-esteem and emotional security.

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

The curriculum is organised well.

The manager and staff know the skills and knowledge they want children to learn over time. Staff are confident in delivering structured learning experiences. For instance, through regular repetition, children begin to recognise written letters and sounds.

Children are encouraged to count beads and match them to written numbers. They move on to more complex problems, such as counting in sequence building up to larger numbers from 10 to 100.Children engage well during most activities.

They learn to listen, follow simple instructions and concentrate. For example, younger children copy staff as they wiggle their fingers in the air and tap their legs using faster and faster movements. Older children eagerly dig for potatoes that they have grown and use their hands to explore the contents of the soil.

They wash the potatoes and compare size and shape. However, sometimes, during larger group activities, some children lose interest. The organisation of these activities does not consistently support the different ages and needs of children at these times.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who receive additional funding are supported effectively. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to ensure all children make progress from when they first start. Parents comment that children learn key skills in readiness for school, such as social skills, and begin to confidently communicate and express themselves.

Staff support children who are learning English as an additional language by using words in both English and their home language. They work with parents to find out familiar words in their home language to help children settle and understand the daily routine.Children learn to follow appropriate hygiene routines.

Staff have heightened this practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children understand the importance of washing their hands and catching their coughs in their elbows to help limit the spread of germs.Staff support children's independence and confidence well.

Children are very independent. They willingly lay the table with plates and cutlery, and wash up after they have finished.The manager is passionate about her role and knows the children and staff well.

Staff speak positively about the management structure and the support they receive. They have regular individual and team meetings as well as opportunities to undertake professional development, such as training. The manager is a good role model to other staff with the quality of her practice.

However, not all staff adapt teaching as well as they could to further support children's learning.Partnerships with parents are good. Staff share daily information with parents through an online system and verbal handovers.

During the national lockdowns, the pre-school was only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions. Parents of children staying at home at that time received regular ideas for activities for their children to take part in. This helped to support children's continued learning during this time.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and fully understands the responsibilities of her role. All staff are aware of the potential signs that may indicate a child is at risk.

They are vigilant in monitoring children's well-being and know the procedures to follow to refer any concerns. The manager has effective arrangements to ensure that staff maintain an up-to-date knowledge of child protection matters. Staff complete daily risk assessments of the premises, which helps to identify and minimise hazards to children.

There are clear procedures for the recruitment and induction of new staff. These processes check staff's suitability to work with children and help all staff to know their roles and responsibilities.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's teaching skills to help raise the overall good quality of practice nimprove the organisation and timings of large-group activities, to ensure all children are well supported.

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