The Montessori Nursery At Headingley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are highly motivated to learn and extremely happy and settled in this welcoming and friendly nursery. Staff work hard from the outset to build exceptional relationships with children.

Children are confident to ask questions, make suggestions and predict what will happen next, for example when listening to and joining in with stories and songs. Children have an excellent awareness of safety. For instance, they know that they must hold the bannister as they use the stairs, and not to push their friends in front.

Children tuck chairs under tables when they leave. They handle a wide range of tools and delicate mat...erials with great care and caution. Children tidy away after each activity and leave the equipment organised and ready for their friends.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They play harmoniously together, demonstrating excellent consideration and empathy for their peers. For instance, an older child notices a young child sitting on a push bike and very kindly offers to push the bike for them.

Children choose the materials they wish to work with and benefit from prolonged periods of uninterrupted time to play and experiment. They develop a wide range of physical skills. For instance, younger children scoop out the pumpkin seeds with spoons.

Older children transfer flour and salt very skilfully from one small container to another. Children use tongs to pick up and place small objects in containers, which helps to develop their small-muscle control.

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

Good leadership, regular self-evaluation and effective team working contribute to a well-organised provision.

The manager supervises and supports the staff to reflect on their practice. He carries out peer observations which help them to evaluate the practice of others. He ensures the staff have access to appropriate training, to further their continuous professional development.

Good progress has been made to address the action and recommendation raised at the last inspection. As a result, staff have good knowledge on the 'Prevent' duty, which relates to wider safeguarding issues.Staff prioritise developing children's language and communication skills.

They skilfully reinforce new words and concepts during their interactions and the routine includes plenty of opportunities for children to talk, listen, sing and enjoy stories. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully included during activities.Children's personal, social and emotional development is integral to all learning.

Children, including the very youngest, can concentrate for sustained periods. Adults know the children well. They know how to support children if they become anxious or lose focus.

This helps them to re-engage in their learning. There are strong systems in place to encourage children's self-help skills. This means that the very youngest children learn how to become independent.

Staff identify what children need to learn. They identify any gaps in children's learning and ensure plans are in place to meet each child's specific needs. Children build on what they know.

Staff frequently discuss the progress and development of each child. The development of children's mathematical knowledge is woven through different activities. However, staff, occasionally, miss opportunities to motivate the most-able children's interest even further in more complex aspects of mathematics.

Relationships in the nursery are very strong and this supports outstanding behaviour. Children are very effectively managed by staff in a friendly and unobtrusive way. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and this helps them to understand the impact that their behaviour choices can have on others.

Children learn the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy nutritious food, follow effective hygiene routines and engage in physical exercise each day, regardless of the weather. However, sometimes, preparation for outdoor play for the older children is prolonged and they are left waiting an unnecessary amount of time.

Staff develop positive partnerships with parents from the outset. For example, they talk to them at the earliest opportunity to find out about their children's care and learning needs. The management team and staff have adapted well to the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents have not been allowed into the building. However, they say that they do not mind because they receive quality feedback from staff when they come to collect their child, and from the online system.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of what they need to look out for regarding concerns about a child's welfare. They have full understanding of the procedures to follow to deal with their concerns. Staff undergo regular, comprehensive training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

The manager has effective systems in place to make sure that children are readily identified and well supported, where necessary. He has a robust recruitment procedure in place, including a series of comprehensive background checks to ensure staff suitability for their roles.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance children's opportunities to learn more complicated mathematical concepts as they play to help them to develop even more skills to support their future learning consider the routines and preparation time for outdoor play, to help reduce the time pre-school children have to wait before they are able to go outdoors.