Building Blocks Montessori Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive in this welcoming child-centred nursery. They are captivated by stimulating and thought-provoking activities which ignite their sense of curiosity and encourage them to be eager and motivated learners.

Children enjoy an excellent combination of Montessori resources and other activities which complement and support their learning. Staff provide an inclusive environment where opportunities for learning about the wider world are abundant. They recognise that children cannot always access experiences to learn about the wider world.

Therefore, staff use innovative ideas and resources to ensure that th...ese opportunities come to the children. Children's learning experiences are superbly enhanced through an extensive range of opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as weekly gymnastics, yoga, dance and ball-skills sessions. Staff prioritise children's early communication and language to the highest possible levels.

Children are very articulate communicators. For example, when asked to consider what the word 'massive' means, children expertly understand it means 'big'. Children develop a keen interest in literacy They make marks to draw very accurate diagrams of how their bodies work, such as how food is digested.

Children with weaker areas in their learning are supported exceptionally well to ensure they flourish, through staff's partnership working with other professionals.

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

Partnership working with parents is outstanding and a significant strength of the setting. Staff understand the importance of children's home lives and experiences.

Parents are highly involved in sharing information about aspects of their children's learning. They play a significant role, with their ideas being sought through extensive approaches. For example, parents share their ideas with staff using interactive planning boards.

Leaders ensure parents' opinions form a strong part in the planning and evaluation of the setting.Staff skilfully initiate activities to challenge and extend children's learning. They expertly encourage children's problem-solving skills to support their learning.

For example, staff really challenged children to make comparison of lengths of wooden rods and sort them into size order. Children were further challenged to use the different-sized rods to make a maze.Staff make excellent use of opportunities to challenge children to solve mathematical problems in their play.

For example, children estimated the scoops of cream they would need to fill an ice-cream cone. Staff help children understand new concepts, such as 'half', when they discovered they did not need the full quantity.Leaders and staff are excellent role models.

They set high behavioural expectations and children behave exceptionally well. For example, they have a strong understanding of fairness. Children thoroughly understand about the rules of the setting for taking turns and sharing the more popular resources.

Children are highly motivated to develop their independence skills. They are supervised well by the staff, who help them learn to develop tremendous self-sufficiency skills. For instance, children use mirrors at self-care stations to check they have cleaned their faces thoroughly.

Children have superb opportunities to be outdoors and be active. Staff support children well to understand the effects that physical exercise has on their bodies. For example, they encourage children to hold their hands on their chest and feel the change in their heartbeat after being active.

The manager is an inspirational role model to staff and has very high expectations for what children can achieve in their care. She is highly reflective and continually looking for ideas to develop and improve provision and the outcomes for children. The manager constantly strives to share her outstanding practice with others and offers support to other early years settings.

Leaders ensure staff receive highly effective and targeted professional development. This translates into very positive improvements in the planning of the curriculum. Reflection on practice is fully embedded in the knowledgeable staff's practice.

They reflect carefully on how their interventions will impact on children's learning. Leaders regularly observe staff practice to ensure high standards are maintained.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and leaders know and understand the indicators that may suggest a child is at risk of harm. Staff have in-depth knowledge of how to report concerns about a child's welfare. Leaders act swiftly when there are concerns about a child's welfare, and work in secure partnerships with other professionals.

Staff access regular training, including on the wider issues of child protection. The provider has rigorous recruitment and induction procedures to help ensure the continued suitability of staff. New staff complete a robust induction process to help ensure that they thoroughly understand their responsibilities.