Montessori On The Park

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and secure at this nursery. They receive support and encouragement to enable them to confidently explore and play. Babies move around the room confidently and independently.

They choose resources they want to play with and enjoy playing alongside others as they develop social skills. Older children remain focused and engaged as they develop ideas and thoughts about things that interest them. Adults support them well and have high expectations of what they are capable of.

They encourage children to talk about different dinosaurs and their characteristics as they look at dinosaur models. They help chil...dren to recall and build on what they already know and then motivate them to create drawings. Communication and language learning is a strength.

Staff support children by introducing new words to build their vocabulary and by modelling the correct spoken language and asking them lots of questions. Overall, children are well behaved, and they learn to share and collaborate as they play. They enjoy being physically active in the outside space and on their daily outings to the local park and community garden.

They benefit from the nursery's focus on the importance of the natural world. They are taught how to grow and look after a wide range of plants. They harvest fruit and vegetables they have grown and enjoy eating them.

These learning experiences provide them with opportunities to develop valuable skills for their future lives.

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

Settling-in procedures are effective. Staff gather information from parents about children's interests and individual needs before they start at the nursery.

They use this information, and their own observations, to plan activities that build on children's prior knowledge and skills. Children who are new to the setting confidently engage in activities.Overall, staff understand what they want children to learn.

They follow children's interests and support them in a way that is appropriate to their level of development. Planning and assessment take account of children's individual learning and development needs. There are occasional inconsistencies in how adults teach children about how their behaviour affects others.

Staff understand the importance of encouraging young children to repeat activities over time, and the Montessori curriculum supports this. They know that revisiting activities improves young children's understanding and develops their skills.Children are generally focused and engaged when learning.

However, at times, children are not always taught the importance of good listening behaviours or how their behaviour can affect those around them.Children are supported to become independent, as staff provide them with many opportunities to do things for themselves. At lunchtime, children help set the tables and serve themselves.

Older children toilet themselves and put on their own coats and shoes before going outside.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve good outcomes. Additional needs are identified early on.

Support plans are quickly put in place and referrals for additional support are made when required.Staff support children to be healthy and to understand the importance of eating healthy food. Children try new foods and understand the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables.

The menu is nutritious and is adapted to take account of children's individual dietary needs.Staff support children who speak English as an additional language effectively. They encourage children to use words and phrases in their home language and provide dual language books for them to read.

Children learn about the wider world and other cultures by celebrating different festivals and traditions.Parents speak positively about the nursery. They feel that their children settle well and are happy.

Parents comment that staff keep them updated about their children's daily routine. They regularly share information about all aspects of their children's learning and development, including how they can support them at home.Children choose the books and stories they want to listen to.

They answer questions about the story and talk about the different characters, predicting what is going to happen to them. This enables them to develop a positive attitude to books and literacy, which supports their eventual move to school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safety is a priority as staff supervise children well and the spaces are safe and free from hazards. Staff understand the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk from harm and the procedures they should follow to keep them safe. Relevant staff have completed paediatric first-aid training.

This ensures they support children effectively in the event of an accident. Staff carry out regular risk assessments of the nursery environment to ensure children's safety at all times.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop a consistent approach across the staff team to teaching children how their behaviour affects others.