Alexandra Montessori Hammersmith

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

On arrival, children separate easily from their parents, and handover information is quickly exchanged with staff. Children change into their indoor shoes before making their way into the nursery. Coats and bags are hung up and hands washed prior to entering the playroom. Children are greeted warmly by staff and their peers. They select resources to play with before everyone comes together for a morning circle time. For instance, children confidently join in conversations and songs about the days of the week and the weather. Staff also use the activity to reinforce the nursery's newly established 'golden rules'. Children discuss what 'kind hands', 'walking feet' and 'being kind' mean to them. Children view the picture timetable, eagerly anticipating the planned events for the day.

Children have daily trips to the local park. Older children proudly demonstrate how they can independently put on their coat by placing it on the floor and flipping it over their head. If needed, staff support children with zips and other fastenings, and they encourage children to complete the parts they can do for themselves. Younger children have appropriate clothing, including all-in-one suits and wellington boots, as jumping in puddles is enjoyed by all the children.

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

• Allocated key persons collect children's starting points from parents when they move into the nursery. Staff use the information to plan and sequence children's learning. They provide activities linked to children's interests, and this impacts on children's learning and supports them to make good progress.
• Staff are well deployed, and they manage behaviour in a positive, consistent manner. This helps children to understand how their behaviour affects their friends and helps them to build positive relationships. Staff use practical strategies to help children understand turn-taking and sharing. However, on occasion, staff do not incorporate strategies to support children who need more help or children with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children and staff share a rich cultural heritage. Staff provide a curriculum in both English and Mandarin. They skilfully thread Mandarin into every opportunity to support children's communication. Children demonstrate what they have learned as they seamlessly move between both languages. For example, children respond in English to instructions from staff in Mandarin.
• Children wash their hands in preparation for snacks and meals that are provided by their parents. Older children are enthusiastic and like to be independent with self-care tasks. For example, when two children volunteer to be lunchtime helpers, staff say that only one is needed. Children quickly negotiate between themselves and reply, 'We can both help. There are two tables; we can have one each.'
• Children enjoy daily trips to the park. Since the last inspection, staff have developed practice to ensure children's needs continue to be met outside of the nursery. For example, staff carry water and a first-aid kit and complete a health and safety check of the area in the park they will be using to ensure children have a safe space to play.
• Since joining the nursery, the manager has provided effective support for staff. New staff have a planned induction into the nursery. Training is tailored to meet each individual member of staff's needs. Regular supervision sessions and opportunities to evaluate how training impacts on practice are improving the quality of teaching for all children.
• Parents speak very highly of the new manager and her staff team. They share how happy their child is when they arrive at the nursery. Parents feel confident with the level of care and support they receive. Parents enjoy reading observations and seeing photos on the online app. However, the manager and staff have not fully explored how they can help more parents to make use of the app to share information and support children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to help all children to build positive relationships with each other
• help parents to share information about their child's development at home to enhance children's learning further.