Annabel's Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly as they arrive at the setting. They are greeted warmly by the staff and become engaged in activities. Children display strong bonds with the staff and seek them out for comfort as needed. When children become unsettled, staff are on hand to offer reassuring cuddles and provide them with a safe space. There is a lovely atmosphere within the setting. The calm and nurturing practice from the staff team supports new children effectively.

Staff create activities that not only follow the Montessori approach, but also children's interests. Children remain at activities for long periods and demonstrate how much they enjoy being at the setting. Children relish the opportunities to make independent choices in their learning. They move around the room freely, and when children find it difficult to make choices, staff support them by introducing them to activities and demonstrating how to complete them.

Staff are positive role models for children. They talk to them at their level and are respectful in their approach. Children have a good understanding of the settings rules and staff expectations, which makes it easy for them to follow. Good behaviour is celebrated, and when children need reminders, this is done in a pleasant manner.

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

• A secure key-person system is in place, and staff know their key children well. Staff use this knowledge to support individual needs and situations. For example, when children become distressed, staff promptly respond. Staff sing to children, which helps to calm them and enables them to move on to another activity. Staff regularly assess their key children's progress to identify what they already know and can do. As a result of this thorough checking, children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff plan a range of activities for children to complete and use topics to support their learning further. Staff use their skills and knowledge to embed learning, and during activities, children engage well. For example, they develop their fine motor skills as staff teach them to peel the backs off stickers to create a picture. However, this is not consistent across the setting. At times, staff do not confidently engage with children to drive their learning forward and meet the desired outcomes.
• Overall, staff help children to develop good communication and language skills. They model words, such as 'frosty' and 'nippy', as they describe the weather at circle time. Some children enjoy talking in front of the group. This encourages them to become more confident in their knowledge and share this with their friends. However, staff have not considered how to ensure that quieter children can join in. Some children are not always exposed to the same level of communication and language as others. As a result, these children often leave activities as interactions differ for them.
• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is positive. All children are welcomed into the setting, and staff quickly identify gaps in learning. As a result of this, plans are swiftly created in collaboration with parents, which is highly beneficial for children. Staff make good links with other providers to share information. They go above and beyond to support families and work with all professionals involved with children to ensure their learning needs are met.
• Partnerships with parents are very positive. The team works hard to provide detailed information to parents about the curriculum and the things children are learning. This helps parents to feel included. They talk of the strong relationships staff build with their children and the positive impact this has on their development. Parents return with siblings, which demonstrates their love for the setting.
• Leaders are passionate about the setting and enjoy the role they play in children's learning. The leadership team and staff have regular meetings, where they reflect on the curriculum as well as practice. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities. They use the acquired knowledge to develop new strategies in the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to develop consistency in the quality of their teaching and interactions to build on children's communication and language development
• increase the monitoring of staff practice to develop their knowledge and understanding so that children benefit from consistently good quality learning experiences.