Townsend Montessori @ Herne Bay

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children feel safe and happily engage with others as they investigate their chosen activities.

They explore the different sounds musical instruments make as they experiment and listen to rhythms. Staff have high expectations for children and make good use of interactions with them to develop their language skills.Children have plenty of opportunities for fresh air and enjoy a range of activities in the outdoor area.

The younger children march and explore different ways of moving around the garden. Older children show off their hopping skills. They enjoy the challenge of seeing how many hops they can do on each leg as t...hey build up their muscles.

Babies smile and confidently interact with staff and visitors. They hold the hands of staff as they climb up and down the steps in the playroom. Babies gain confidence as they practise their physical skills.

Children are developing their independence in learning and self-care skills. They clearly explain the importance of washing hands to get rid of germs. Staff teach children how to make healthy choices.

For example, they provide them with real fruit and vegetables in the home corner to use in their role play. The children are particularly interested in the smell of the onion and how the skin feels. Children have a wide range of sensory experiences and learn about being healthy.

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

Staff get to know children well and their emotional well-being is a high priority. They give children clear instructions, so that they understand the expectations of their behaviour. Staff reinforce positive behaviour.

For instance, they praise children when they show spontaneous acts of kindness.Children are eager to spend time investigating and exploring in the forest school. During the inspection, children expertly steered the wheelbarrow around obstacles as they transported conkers, before counting and stacking them into piles.

Staff provide them with extensive opportunities to learn about plants and animals. Children were particularly excited to see a robin feeding on the food they had left. Staff effectively support children to learn about the world around them.

Staff are vigilant and are aware of the importance of children's safety. They carry out effective risk assessments. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe.

Staff provide younger children with a range of objects to pick up and splash into water. Older children apply their problem-solving skills as they work out how to get to the fruit that has been frozen into large ice blocks. Staff talk to children about the sounds and textures.

Older children gain a sense of achievement as they complete their task, which helps to develop their self-esteem.Children have numerous opportunities to explore books and hear stories indoors and outside. Staff provide cosy areas for children to sit and look at books.

They read stories to the children and encourage them to anticipate the key events. Staff have a strong focus on home learning. They encourage parents to take books home to share with their children to help develop their interest in literacy.

The manager and staff have formed positive relationships with parents. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are not able to go into the nursery playrooms at present. Staff make sure that parents are kept up to date about their children's learning and development.

For example, they speak with parents at drop-off and collection times, and encourage them to view and add to children's online records.The manager is passionate about her role and has a strong commitment to providing good-quality experiences for all children who attend. She values the views and commitment of the staff team in reviewing and improving the service they provide.

The manager understands the importance of developing the staff team. She is aware of the challenges they face with the high percentage of the team newly employed at the nursery. The manager monitors training and ensures that staff receive any training they need.

However, some staff do not always put this into practice to consistently provide a higher level of challenge in order to help extend children's knowledge and skills even further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has a secure understanding of how to safeguard children.

She has implemented effective monitoring procedures to ensure staff keep their safeguarding training up to date. For instance, some staff have recently updated their 'Prevent' duty training. Staff have a good knowledge of the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect.

They are aware of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The provider implements robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure all adults working with children are suitable and fully aware of their role.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen support for staff to help them make the most of experiences that arise to challenge and extend children's knowledge and understanding.