Caterpillars Montessori Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children happily settle on arrival and are welcomed warmly by staff.

Children demonstrate that they feel at ease at the nursery as they access resources independently. Overall, children behave well. Staff mostly implement suitable strategies to support children's positive behaviour.

They encourage children to use manners, and they praise children when they share and take turns. Children listen well to the staff and respond to requests made. For instance, they follow instructions to tidy the garden before going back inside.

However, mealtimes are not well organised and staff do not consistently reinforce expected ...behaviours at these times, resulting in some children not following these rules.Staff provide a range of activities for the children to enjoy and explore with, which supports their creativity and small physical skills. For example, they explore with water using pipettes and play with dough.

Children have opportunities to learn about the world around them. They enjoy regular trips out within the community and benefit from sessions where they hear languages from around the world. Children receive caring interactions from staff.

However, at times, the quality of teaching is not consistent to challenge children's learning and help them make the progress they are capable of. Nevertheless, staff provide opportunities for children to learn new language skills through songs, stories, rhymes and sign language.

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

The nursery is clean and well maintained.

However, children's health and well-being are not always fully supported due to inconsistencies in practice. For instance, at times, some staff are not deployed effectively when children are eating. Furthermore, they do not emphasise behaviour expectations fully at these times.

This results in snack time becoming chaotic. For instance, some children do not always remain seated. They pick up foods from the floor, put these in their mouth and return foods that they have had in their bowls to the communal platter.

The management team works alongside staff to care for the children. Staff comment that they feel supported and are part of a team. Staff have some opportunities for training, mentoring and supervision.

However, these are not robust enough for all staff to help target, identify and address improvements that are needed to the quality of teaching.Staff have a suitable understanding of the areas of learning. They plan and provide an environment that allows children to make independent choices.

For example, children are supported to find their indoor shoes and hang up their personal belongings when arriving.There are weaknesses in the quality of education. Although staff interact pleasantly with children and talk to them as they play, the quality of teaching is variable.

At times, children benefit from staff who are engaging and supportive. For example, staff are seen to motivate children to use magnets to explore which objects are attracted to the magnet and which are not. This supports their curiosity.

However, not all teaching is ambitious and, at times, has little structure, such as group times and one-to-one activities, where staff ask questions, but answer these before giving the children time to respond. As a result, not all children have the opportunities to build on what they have already learned.Children are beginning to understand the routines in the nursery.

They learn how to manage their personal care needs. For example, after using the toilet and before eating, children understand they need to wash their hands. This supports children's self-care skills.

Children have plenty of opportunities to be physical. They take part in risky play outside as they investigate and balance on beams together, ride scooters and play on ride-on cars.Parents speak positively about the nursery and comment how happy they and their children are.

They explain that the communication from staff is effective in helping them to know how their children have been and the development they are making. Partnerships with other professionals involved in children's care and education are positive.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve staff deployment to support children effectively at snack times and promote their well-being 25/02/2025 ensure effective supervision is in place to provide staff with support, coaching and training to target weaknesses in their practice and improve the quality of teaching.25/02/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the implementation of the curriculum to focus more closely on the intended learning aims of activities to build effectively on what children know and can do.