Montessori by Busy Bees North Chiswick

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children feel emotionally safe and secure. Staff know the children well and use information from parents to help them settle.

Staff offer plenty of cuddles and reassurance for children who are new to the setting, and for babies. This helps to support children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are happy and enjoy playing with their friends.

All children develop good levels of independence, particularly in their self-care skills. Each playroom has an 'independence station', equipped with tissues, a mirror and a space for water beakers. Children are encouraged to use these when they need to wipe their nose or have a ...drink, for example.

Older children take part in self-registration and find their name or picture when they arrive at nursery. Children of all ages are eager to explore. In the baby room, staff position the babies' favourite toys just out of reach to entice them to move around.

Toddlers show excitement as they dig in the sand and fill up buckets. Older children enjoy making play dough, learning to measure and using their problem-solving skills to work out how much water should be added to the mixture. Children behave well and are friendly and cooperative.

Staff are good role models. They regularly encourage children to talk about their feelings and this helps children to understand their emotions.

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

The dedicated leadership team has successfully raised the quality of the provision.

Actions set at the previous inspection have been reflected upon and appropriately addressed.The manager monitors staff practice meticulously. She has a thorough knowledge of each member of staff's abilities and provides regular supervision.

This support has enabled staff to develop their knowledge and teaching skills. Staff make effective use of a nursery app by researching different activities and experiences to support their planning and ideas.Partnerships with parents are good.

Parents comment that they have seen lots of improvements and that communication is effective. The manager keeps parents well informed in a variety of ways. She has arranged family events, such as planting bulbs in the garden at the weekend.

Parents are encouraged to share their experiences of their child's learning at home with the key person, who incorporates this feedback into their planning. Parents can also access a wealth of information on the nursery's app to support them with ideas for activities.The curriculum is based on children's needs and individual interests.

Staff plan activities which, overall, promote all areas of learning well. This has a positive impact on children's progress and prepares them for their next stage of learning. There are good systems in place to monitor children's progress and to quickly identify any gaps in their learning.

Staff work closely with other professionals, when required, to provide effective support for children.Children enjoy their time playing in the garden. The outdoor play space is set up well to support their learning.

For example, children have great fun making dinner in the mud kitchen. On occasions, staff organise trips to the local parks where children can run around. However, this is not a regular activity and, overall, staff do not provide enough activities during the day to encourage children to be physically challenged and feel the effects of exercise on their bodies.

Staff interactions with children are positive and, overall, are used well to motivate children to join in and have a go. Staff make effective use of picture cards to support some children's communication and language development. This enables children to follow the routines and communicate their needs.

Occasionally, staff's questioning of children is not fully effective. For example, at times, staff ask too many closed questions which do not extend children's thinking and communication skills.Children develop a good understanding of the importance of healthy eating.

They enjoy games where they compare which foods are healthy and unhealthy. This learning is reinforced during mealtimes and children are beginning to understand about the nutritional content of the foods they eat.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers place a high priority on making sure that staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children. Staff receive regular training and there are opportunities for discussions on safeguarding at staff meetings and in individual supervision sessions. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child.

There is a strong recruitment process in place to check the suitability of new staff. The manager and staff vigilantly carry out daily checks to ensure the nursery is safe and risks to children are minimised.

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 understanding of how to extend children's communication skills and help them develop their language even further provide regular opportunities for children to be involved in physically challenging activities to promote their good health.