Wirral Montessori Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and confident in this well-presented, welcoming and safe nursery. Staff are caring and they speak to children with kindness and respect. This supports children to be eager learners who explore with enthusiasm and play with purpose.

Children are given plenty of time to test the equipment and experiment with the resources. For instance, they spend long periods of time concentrating as they master how to draw water into a pipette and then empty it out again. Staff have high expectations for all children as they implement the ethos of Montessori teachings successfully.

They allow children to tes...t out their ideas without interrupting or dominating their play. This helps children instigate their own ideas. For instance, they play together harmoniously as they build a tower with blocks of different shapes and colours.

They delight as they compare their efforts. Staff enhance the experience by subtly acknowledging children's success. They help reinforce mathematical language, such as 'tall' and 'tallest'.

This boosts children's sense of self-esteem. Children show high-level social skills. They behave very well and show consideration for each other.

For example, children use a woven mat to play on. Staff help children of all ages to understand they can only join the play if invited by the child whose mat it is. When the activity is complete, children return equipment, helping them to learn to keep themselves safe.

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

Parents speak highly of the care their children receive. They praise the calm atmosphere created within the nursery, and the way the staff work closely with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and or disabilities. Children are developing good self-care skills.

Parents say that staff's sensitive approach enables their child to experience all aspects of nursery life.Children are well supported to develop their physical skills and understand about adopting practices that support a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy riding the tricycles.

They explain to visitors how they need to push the pedals forward to make them move. Children run around freely, dig and enjoy fresh air daily. Simple pictures and gentle reminders from staff help them to develop effective handwashing skills.

Staff talk with children about why it is important to do so after visiting the toilet.Staff help children to count and extend their speaking skills through imaginative play. They ask children about their castle and what they can see from the top.

Children enjoy lots of discussion; they describe excitedly how they reach the top of their castle. There are plenty of good-quality books and children are invited to join in the sharing of stories. However, on some occasions when all children in the group join together for a story, younger children are unable to maintain concentration.

This interrupts the enjoyment and learning experience for older children. Nevertheless, children are provided with a language-rich environment.The learning environment is carefully planned as staff have a good knowledge about children's particular needs and interests.

They plan activities that excite and enthuse the children, helping them develop positive attitudes towards learning and a can-do attitude.The manager ensures that her vision for the way children's learning is supported is clearly conveyed. She takes the time to ensure that new staff fully understand how the more unusual resources and equipment are used to support children's immediate and future learning.

Staff work consistently and effectively as a team. They provide good physical and emotional care for the children.Staff have begun to meet with the manager to discuss their professional development and strengthen their understanding of their roles.

The manager recognises this requires further time for it to become highly effective.The manager evaluates the learning environment very well as she regularly assesses why children show less interest in some activities. She makes simple changes to encourage children to explore all the things that are available.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All relevant policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children. Staff demonstrate they are familiar with the signs and indicators of possible abuse.

They are confident in who to contact to report concerns. Managers use their experience practically to follow up any children's unexplained absences and alert relevant professionals to ensure children are kept safe and protected.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed fully the recently introduced arrangements for staff supervision and monitoring, to identify precisely any individual development needs, to help raise staff's individual quality of teaching to the highest level consider the organisation of times when stories are shared in group situations, to allow each child to enjoy, listen and understand them.