Playhouse Montessori

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff create a warm, welcoming and stimulating learning environment to help children to feel safe and emotionally secure. Children keenly greet staff as they arrive, find their favourite toys, and settle very quickly.

Children are eager to start their busy day, ready to learn. They are confident in social situations. For example, children say to visitors, 'What's your name?' and 'Nice to meet you.'

Children benefit from meaningful learning, overall. Staff plan experiences based on what children know and can do to help to meet their individual needs. During holiday periods, children of mixed ages play, learn and develop... their social skills together.

For example, older children look at books with younger children and help them to join puzzle pieces together. Children thoroughly enjoy each other's company and behave well. Staff help to develop children's positive sense of self within the local community and what makes them unique.

For example, staff plan weekly trips to the library and local parks. They celebrate a range of festivals to help to develop children's understanding of what makes them unique and appreciation of diversity. Staff find out key words in the languages children speak at home to help children to feel secure in their cultural identity.

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

The manager, who is also the provider, has an ambitious vision for providing good-quality, inclusive care and education for all children. She ensures that robust policies and procedures are understood and followed by all staff. Weaknesses are quickly identified, and systems are put in place to help to ensure the safety and security of children.

The manager understands the importance of working in partnership with other professionals for a consistent approach in children's learning, development and safety. For example, the manager works closely with the early years and inclusion teams to help to provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.The manager identifies what the impact of COVID-19 has had on staff and parents' emotional well-being and children's learning.

She has developed her Montessori curriculum intent so that, overall, opportunities are planned to help to support children's concentration and attention skills and communication development. Children quickly catch up with their learning and development. They make good progress from when they first start.

Staff welcome recent changes to their workload to help to minimise burdensome paperwork. They confirm that their well-being is supported well by the manager. Staff appreciate regular supervision meetings to help to focus on professional development opportunities, and they value additional support to achieve a childcare qualification.

Parents are very keen to share their views of the nursery, care and the progress their children make over time. They say that the manager and staff 'foster a family environment' and that their children are 'thriving'. Parents welcome a new online system to keep them well informed of the daily activities provided and next steps in their children's learning.

Partnership with parents is strong.Staff have a good understanding of the areas of learning they teach to help to ensure they provide good-quality education for children most of the time. They have a firm and common understanding of the implementation of the curriculum intent to help to build on what children know and can do.

This helps to prepare children for the next stages in their learning, overall. However, not all experiences are purposeful or consistently challenging.Staff are good role models and have high expectations for all children.

They support children's behaviour well, and when children struggle with their behaviour, staff quickly intervene. Staff help children to recognise the impact that their behaviour has on their friends.Children are motivated and eager to learn.

For example, younger children concentrate as they firmly hold a tiny wooden rod to trace letters in a sand tray. Children show pride as they enthusiastically say 'letter o' and 'It looks like a circle.' Staff praise children for their achievements to help to promote children's self-esteem.

However, staff do not always organise the learning environment so that children have opportunities for less interrupted play and fully engage in their learning.Staff understand the importance of promoting children's communication and language skills and early mathematics. For example, children listen with increasing attention and listening skills while staff read them a story to help develop children's love of books and early reading.

Children eagerly sort and compare coloured bears to help to promote early mathematical concepts.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a clear understanding of their role in keeping children safe.

The manager ensures that staff undertake regular safeguarding training and have up-to-date paediatric first-aid training. Staff know how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. They are aware of the policy for whistle-blowing.

The manager understands the procedure to follow if allegations are made against staff. Staff carry out daily safety checks to make sure that the premises is safe for children to play and learn.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the implementation of the curriculum so that children consistently benefit from meaningful, ambitious and engaging experiences strengthen the organisation of routines to better support children's engagement so that there are less interruptions in their play and learning.