Alexandra Montessori

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their carers well and are eager to start their play. Children learn through the Montessori approach, which focuses on creative learning. For example, older children build a complex 'car park tower' out of wooden blocks, showing their creativity. Younger children enjoy playing with 'real life' items in the kitchen role-play area, for example, they explore real vegetables. They are learning about the world around them. Children show happiness in all areas of their play and care. The impact of the curriculum is clear. Children make good progress in their learning. Children leaving to go to school are ready for their next step in education.

Staff have high overall expectations for all children. They work towards their ethos of supporting children to become happy, independent, confident and caring. This supports children to develop sound values for later in life. Children behave well, tidy up their toys and share with their friends. Staff provide a warm and caring environment where children feel content and secure. Children spontaneously approach staff for hugs and cuddle up contentedly. Parents give glowing feedback on how happy they are with the nursery and it is clear that their children are very happy there too.

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

• Children are encouraged to eat healthily. They thoroughly enjoy their meals while they talk about eating 'healthy carrots and cucumber'. Managers take pride in providing meals that are 'made with love'. The nursery chooses to provide a vegetarian menu only. This is to reduce their carbon footprint. Parents are fully supportive of this choice to be sustainable. Staff and children at the setting have been working towards sustainability. Children are learning to grow their own vegetables.
• Staff provide individual care for each child. For example, they follow babies' home routines for eating and sleeping. This ensures that all children's care needs are being met and that routines are kept consistent. Children and babies are therefore happy and content.
• Children have the opportunity to make choices. Recently, children voted on what nursery pet they would like to have. The children voted for fish and now have fish to care for. Children are learning that their thoughts and opinions make a difference.
• All children are well behaved. They follow the nursery's 'golden rules' which support them to respect toys, be kind, tidy up and share. Children are learning values that will support them later in their life.
• Managers evaluate the setting and create plans for growth. For example, they are keen to enrol all unqualified staff on the level 3 early years qualification. This shows their drive towards continuous development for the setting and therefore the children's learning and development.
• The intent, implementation and impact of the curriculum are evident throughout the nursery. Staff use children's interests to plan activities and resources that promote each child's learning.
• Staff partner with parents to support the children's learning. Parents contribute to their child's learning by sharing their child's interests. For example, one parent reported that their child had taken an interest in science experiments. The nursery used this information to plan science experiments for the children to take part in.
• Staff provide good overall opportunities for children to build on what they already know and can do. For example, they ask questions that support children's thinking. However, on occasion, they do not always use techniques, including questioning, effectively enough to stretch and challenge children's knowledge.
• Children are learning to care for their environment. Children recently planted sunflowers. They talk about how to care for them and how they need 'sunshine and water to help them grow'. When the sun comes out, they excitedly check to see if they have flowered and measure them to see how much they have grown. Children are seeing the results of their love and care and are learning to be patient.
• Staff provide children with some links to the community. For example, the local dentist attends the setting to talk to children about oral hygiene. However, children have limited experiences beyond this to learn about their wider community and extend their learning even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• raise the quality of education to ensure enough challenge is provided and each child's learning is maximised
• provide further links to the community to ensure that children experience a range of opportunities to learn about the wider world.