Bright Bambini Montessori

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are helped to settle into the nursery by kind and supportive staff. Those new to the nursery quickly gain the trust of staff and begin to form positive relationships. Staff speak to new children in their home language to reassure them and help them feel secure. Children demonstrate confidence in their surroundings and approach staff and visitors with ease. They happily access the resources and activities on offer. Children are taught to be gracious and courteous, and staff encourage positive self-esteem, which helps to prepare children for their life ahead.

Children show good perseverance in tasks. For example, when their tower of blocks keeps falling, they think about ways they can prevent this from happening. Children are curious and like to explore. They are introduced to new textures, such as wheat, and learn how to grind this into flour as part of the process of how bread is made. Staff complement and extend children's learning through books, which they use to find out all about a combine harvester.

Children behave well and any minor disagreements are swiftly handled by staff. New children to the setting are beginning to understand the nursery rules and boundaries. Children know where to put their belongings and to tidy away toys when they have finished playing. On the climbing wall, children are confident to tell others when it is their turn.

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

• Staff have high expectations for every child. A well-thought-out curriculum, using the Montessori ethos, supports children to gain the skills that they will need for their future learning. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children's personalities and individual learning styles. They help children to build on what they already know.
• Staff understand the importance of developing children's language and communication skills. They engage in conversation and introduce a wide and interesting range of vocabulary, such as 'parallelogram', when learning about unusual shapes. Children show a great interest in books. They listen intently to familiar stories and confidently answer questions about what they can see on the page. Staff use a range of props to help bring the stories to life.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in the nursery. Staff regularly review children's progress and discuss this with parents. They seek and follow advice from professionals involved in the children's care to help close any gaps in their learning and to give them the best start in life.
• During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff used a variety of ways to support those children and families who did not attend the nursery. For example, they made videos online of themselves reading stories. Children were provided with packs of activities which included art and craft materials and packets of cress seeds to grow. Parents were given ideas of how to support learning at home, which were well received.
• The manager ensures there is constant communication with parents. This is delivered in many ways, including through an online assessment system, newsletters and a private social media platform. Montessori practical life activities are shared weekly to help promote consistency between home and the nursery. Parents feel staff are friendly and easy to approach. They feel their children are helped to be independent and well prepared for school.
• Staff support children in their chosen activities. They are attentive and follow children's interests and emerging learning needs. However, on occasions, staff do not give children enough opportunities to express their creative ideas.
• Occasionally, staff do not recognise when children are deeply engaged in their play. They interrupt children to engage them in different activities.
• Children show independence in their self-care. They use the toilet themselves and learn to dress for outdoor play. Children help with tasks such as washing up plates and cups after lunch, which helps them to gain a sense of responsibility.
• The manager demonstrates passion and vision for the future. She consistently evaluates the ongoing performance of the nursery and considers the views of staff and parents. Staff feel they are managed well, receive good support and are given meaningful professional development opportunities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children to explore their creativity and develop their own ideas
• review staff practice and help them to recognise when to intervene in activities so that children can play without interruption.