Bardfield Montessori Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show exceedingly high levels of confidence and independence. They are excellent communicators, who regularly use complex words in their discussions with staff and each other. Children ask lots of questions, which shows their high levels of curiosity and their eagerness to learn. They respect and handle real-life resources with the utmost care. Children constantly use their excellent imaginative skills. This is helped by the easy access to a wide range of rich and inviting resources. Children create 'tea parties' using real, child sized crockery cups and saucers. They make their drinks using water from the dispenser and sit down before declaring 'ahhh, a lovely cup of tea'.

Babies are consistently working above expected levels of development. For example, one-year-olds use small beakers without lids to drink from. They carefully pour milk into their beakers from glass jugs that are just the right size for small hands. Older children independently recognise when staff have not filled water jugs up before lunch. They pick up the jugs and fill them with water before placing them back in the middle of the lunch tables. Children's welfare and physical health are exceptionally well supported. Babies wear all-in-one suits to protect their clothes while they crawl, climb and generally enjoy getting messy in the extensive outdoor area. Older children immerse themselves in more physically demanding play as they challenge themselves to balance and climb between different sized tree trunk stumps.

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

• Children have fantastic opportunities to learn about the world around them. They eagerly show visitors their ducklings, which they incubated and watched hatch in the nursery. Children are exceedingly gentle while handling the ducklings, holding them securely in their hands. They show their excellent awareness of what the ducklings need to thrive and grow. For example, children recognise when the water bowl needs refreshing and independently change the water without being asked. Staff build on these experiences skilfully. They encourage children to explore and feel the now clean duck eggshells to develop their understanding of life cycles.
• Staff are very intuitive and quickly build on children's emerging play. For example, they provide a small tub of water to satisfy younger children's curiosity and interest in playing with small colourful ducks. Staff display exceptional confidence in their teaching skills. They know when to stand back and let children try to work problems out for themselves, but equally when it is the right time to carefully help them finish. Children persevere and continually keep trying when they find activities, such as puzzles, challenging. They take the pieces out and repeat until the picture is complete. Proud smiles and exclamations of 'it's done' alert staff to their achievements, which they celebrate with children.
• The quality of education is outstanding. The management team is exceptionally strong and focused. They seamlessly support staff to combine the ethos of Montessori with an ambitious curriculum to help all children make exceptional levels of progress. The manager follows safer recruitment practices to help ensure that all staff are suitable for the role. Staff have frequent opportunities to meet with the manager to discuss their practice and identify any training needs.
• Staff morale is exceedingly good. They communicate effectively with each other and continually role model exceptional manners and social interactions. Children enjoy sitting with staff to eat together at mealtimes, calling to the manager to sit with them at their table. Staff's welfare and well-being are a high priority. The manager plans little surprises for the staff and ensures the biscuit tin is always full.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent levels of support. Staff meet with professionals, such as special educational needs coordinators and the local authority, who work alongside parents to support children.
• The nursery opened at the start of the COVID-19 national pandemic. The manager has already developed close relationships with the local school teachers. She is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to help children move smoothly from nursery to school.
• Children have lots of opportunities to make choices. For example, they choose which fruit and vegetables to have for snack. Children learn to prepare healthy snacks, such as pomegranate and colourful peppers. Daily nutritious, home-cooked meals further help to support children's health and well-being.