Riverside Nursery schools- Kew Montessori

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. They build strong relationships with staff and each other. This helps them to feel safe and secure.

Children behave well, showing a positive attitude to learning. They cooperatively follow the nursery routines. For example, they know to put on a wristband to go outside to play and wait for a friend to come inside if there are no wristbands available.

Children's independent learning needs are successfully nurtured, resulting in them following their interests and using resources purposefully. Staff know children's individual learning needs and plan a well-sequence...d and challenging curriculum that extends and consolidates their learning. As a result, all children are making good progress from their starting points.

Staff show high regard to supporting children's personal independence. Consequently, children develop good toileting skills, put on their own coats and know how to prepare fruits for their snack time. Children enjoy group creative activities.

They make choices of collage materials, paints, different style brushes and drawing materials. They develop their free creative expression and enjoy the praise given by staff for their achievements. Children show good physical skills as they confidently use scissors.

They engage in meaningful discussions about their artwork and show kindness as they actively share and take turns with their friends.

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

Staff work closely as a team, creating a calm and purposeful atmosphere for children to play and learn. Good systems are in place to promote staff's continuous professional development, including relevant training and regular supervision sessions.

Consequently, staff understand their roles and responsibilities and actively promote children's welfare.Children develop early mathematical skills while negotiating space and size when using large foam bricks. They accurately match shapes to stencils and skilfully move the shapes to copy the pattern onto a blank page.

They accurately count and measure if their fingers are longer or shorter than the shapes.Occasionally, during group activities, some staff do not recognise when children require additional support to meet their individual care needs, for example, if they are not sitting comfortably or need to wash their hands. This hinders children's full engagement in their learning experience.

Good systems are in place to support children who have additional needs. Staff work closely with parents to help identify any possible special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use Makaton sign language during song times and small group activities.

For example, children show a good understanding of the signs for different colours and then keenly use the signs while singing the rainbow song. This successfully aids children's communication skills, including those who are learning English as an additional language.Parents say that their children have made good progress since they began at the nursery, especially in their social skills and their language development.

Parents say that their children's older siblings previously attended and they value the continuity of care given by staff. Their children are happy and well prepared to move on to school.Children's good health is promoted through regular exercise during outside play and sports activities.

They learn about healthy eating during snack times and enjoy sociable lunchtimes where they discuss their foods in their home-packed lunch. Children know to wash their hands before meals and practise brushing the dentures. This develops their awareness of good oral health.

Children's love of books is evident as they use books independently and enjoy listening to stories. They develop their awareness of the storyline while sequencing the story pictures with staff. This successfully enhances their literacy and communication skills.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: plan group activities more precisely so that all children are fully engaged in their learning.