Blossom Tree Montessori

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, where all children and families feel they belong. Children settle quickly. They separate from their parents and carers with ease and show enthusiasm for the day ahead. The nursery offers a wide range of engaging learning experiences that spark children's interest. From the start, staff build positive relationships with children, helping them feel safe, secure and content. Babies often seek comfort and cuddles as they explore. Toddlers eagerly involve staff in their play and begin to show curiosity and growing confidence. Older children develop independence and a sense of self-worth. They enjoy learning and are well prepared for the move to school.

Leaders and staff have clear aims for children's development. They know how to support each child and help them to build on what they already know. Children revisit familiar stories, such as 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', and enjoy making links in their play. Staff provide personalised care and learning for all children. They help children to understand how to behave. Children are clear about the rules and expectations in the setting. They show kindness and respect towards one another. Children enjoy spending time outside, exploring the garden, taking turns in the mud kitchen and smelling herbs with delight.

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

• Staff weave equality and diversity through the curriculum. Staff explore different religious festivals and celebrations with children using a range of carefully chosen books. Children learn about various cultures, beliefs and differences, including gender, skin tone and disability. These experiences help children to feel valued and develop an understanding of others, preparing them for life in modern Britain.
• Staff say that they feel valued and thoroughly enjoy working at the nursery. They are highly positive about the support they receive from each other and from leaders. Staff work well together and benefit from supervision sessions with leaders, which provide support and promote continuous professional development.
• Parents report that they work in a strong partnership with the nursery. They say that their children are happy and settled and look forward to their nursery sessions. Parents appreciate that their child's key person talks to them about their child's progress. This enables them to continue their children's learning at home.
• Staff hold good-quality and back-and-forth conversations with children. They introduce new words, such as 'eruption' and 'lava', as children play, to broaden their vocabularies. Staff use effective communication methods for children who are not yet able to verbally communicate, such as signing, gestures and facial expressions. They are attentive to children's cues as they communicate their needs and wants.
• Good hygiene and self-care practices are effective across the nursery. Staff teach children to become increasingly independent in managing their personal needs. They teach children about healthy lifestyles and offer parents information on topics, such as oral health, to continue supporting these processes at home.
• Overall, staff ensure that children's physical well-being is well supported. Older children engage in energetic outdoor play. They develop their climbing skills and take safe and controlled risks that strengthen their balance and coordination. Older children confidently navigate the available space while operating wheeled toys. However, staff provide fewer opportunities to support younger children's physical development through spontaneous play and simple daily routines. As a result, some children's next steps in learning are not as sharply focused as they could be. This limits the potential to accelerate children's progress even further.
• Children are familiar with the routines in the nursery and look forward to lunchtime. Older children enjoy helping to set the tables, while staff support younger children gently to wash their hands and find their places. However, at certain times of the day, particularly during lunchtime, the routine is not always organised in a way that fully supports children. For instance, some children wait for extended periods while staff prepare to serve meals. This sometimes leads to children becoming restless or tired, and they miss out on valuable opportunities for engagement and learning. Leaders recognise this as an area for development and have included it in their self-evaluation for ongoing improvement.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• expand the opportunities for younger children to engage in a broader range of physical activities, to further support their physical development and skills
• review and improve the organisation of daily routines, particularly during lunchtime, to minimise unnecessary waiting and to support children's individual needs more consistently.