The Bristol Montessori School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders and managers evaluate their provision effectively and identify areas for improvement accurately. For example, there has been a focus on eating healthily.

This has led to a change in the menu, with all meals made on site and from scratch. Staff have good knowledge of children's special dietary requirements and meet these successfully. Children have good opportunities to grow their own fruit and vegetables and use these in their snacks.

Staff know children well and support their emotional well-being effectively. Children form strong bonds with their key person and the wider staff team. Staff celebrate children's ...achievements successfully.

For example, displays of artwork and photographs help build high levels of self-esteem. Children feel very secure and confident to explain routines, share their experiences and talk about their personal photograph album with unfamiliar visitors to the nursery.Staff use daily routines very well to encourage children to develop good independence.

For example, children change their shoes when they decide to play outside and peg their slippers together. Children confidently register themselves in the outdoor environment and understand that numbers are restricted, and they may not always get a turn straight away. Children learn to be patient and accept rules that keep them safe.

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

Leaders, managers and staff plan the curriculum well to help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. Staff make regular observations which help them to know what children can do and what they need to do next. Children are confident to make choices and are actively involved in their learning.

For example, children choose favourite rhymes and participate enthusiastically. Some children use laminated words and pictures to make their choices, while younger children use the associated props.The environment is well organised and offers children a wealth of experiences.

Resources and activities are at children's level so that they can make decisions about their play. Staff use planned group times effectively to help those children returning from holiday and new starters to learn how to use the resources and set up their 'work' independently. Children show motivation to learn and gain skills to support their future success.

They enthusiastically persevere to complete tasks, such as loosening and fastening a jam jar to find the smallest cube to complete a tower and constructing a circuit to push the trains around. Children show excitement at their discoveries, for instance as they note how they can make the buggy move faster if they roll it down the slope. They show good coordination as they move safely around the garden, negotiating pathways well.

Staff are good role models and encourage children to behave well, be polite and respect each other. For example, children explain that if a 'hand' card is on an activity mat that it is in use. Older children are respectful and ask to join in activities to play alongside their friends.

Overall, most staff encourage children to resolve conflicts independently. However, newer and less experienced staff are not as adept at offering children this support.The new owner and her manager have an ambitious vision and are supporting staff well during the transition period.

They listen to staff's views, such as having non-contact time, and empower them as their roles and responsibilities develop. For example, some staff are accessing training to develop forestry school ideas and to support children with SEND. However, arrangements to ensure consistency in the quality of some teaching is not yet fully embedded, such as to encourage younger children's communication and language skills.

Staff build good relationships with parents. Parents comment favourably about how staff help their children to settle when they first start and the information that is gathered and shared about their children's learning. Leaders make good attempts to keep parents well informed about the changes in the nursery and invite their thoughts.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and managers ensure that all staff are up to date with their training, including child protection and wider safeguarding issues. All staff have good knowledge of their responsibilities to report any concerns about a child's welfare to appropriate agencies.

There are good induction and recruitment arrangements to ensure staff are suitable for their role. Staff are vigilant and use risk assessments effectively to ensure children can play and learn safely.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop further support and guidance for new and less qualified staff to raise the quality of teaching and interactions to the highest level, in particular to ensure consistency in supporting children's communication and language and management of their behaviours.