Casa Montessori Richmond

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children in a caring and friendly manner on their arrival. If children require additional support with transitions, staff offer cuddles and reassurance. This supports all children to feel safe and secure within the setting. The key-person system is well embedded. Children demonstrate close relationships with key staff. For example, children spend time participating in play ideas with their key person throughout sessions.

The setting follows the Montessori method of teaching. Children enjoy taking part in a wide range of Montessori activities. They self-select what they would like to use and independently bring these activities over to the table. Staff support children's understanding of this by introducing activities and demonstrating what they would like children to achieve. For example, they demonstrate pouring water through funnels into jugs. Children then spend time independently participating in this activity. Staff explain how this activity gives children opportunities to strengthen their hand muscles, which supports them with their pre-writing skills. These activities also encourage children to develop their concentration skills.

Children behave well. They show care for the environment. For example, children independently pick posters up in the garden that have fallen. They display these back on the wall. Staff support children to behave positively by offering support when required. They explain to children what is expected and offer them support with sharing and managing their behaviour.

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

• The setting is a multi-language environment. Staff speak English, Spanish and French to children. They speak about the positive effects this has on children. For example, staff explain how children feel welcomed and included within the setting, as they have opportunities to hear their home languages. Children enjoy spending time singing a variety of different songs in these languages. Children use song books to pick which song they would like to sing. They confidently sing songs in French and Spanish. This gives children opportunities to learn about the world around them and develop an understanding of different languages.
• Children have opportunities to take part in a variety of different activities to support them to explore their physical skills. Staff encourage them to spend time climbing onto different-sized stepping stones as they complete an obstacle course. They support children to move in different ways and balance. Staff challenge children. For example, they make the balancing beam higher for children to further explore their skills. This ensures that all children have opportunities to develop physically.
• Children enjoy story sessions. They have opportunities to make independent choices. For example, staff ask them to choose if they would like the story of 'Dear Zoo' to be read in Spanish or English. Staff are interactive and use gestures when reading to children. For example, when reading the story of the 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', children explore real objects alongside the story, such as strawberries and oranges. This encourages children to develop a love for reading.
• Staff support children to develop their language and communication skills. For example, they ask children questions about different topics. However, these are mainly closed questions. This means that children do not always have opportunities to consistently explore language and develop their ideas.
• The setting is strongly focused on children developing their independence skills. At snack time, staff encourage children to peel their own oranges and slice bananas. Once children have finished their snack, they wash up their own plates and bowls. This supports children to manage everyday tasks for themselves.
• Children mainly engage well in activities. However, when they become distracted, staff do not consistently adapt their teaching styles to support children to remain focused. This means that on occasion children do not fully benefit from the learning opportunities.
• Parents have positive views of the setting. They share how they feel the setting is a loving environment for children to learn and develop. Parents are happy with the information that they receive and speak favourably about the regular updates they receive about their children's development.
• Leaders can identify good practice and areas that they would like to improve on. They encourage professional development. Staff speak positively about the support and training that they receive.
• Staff know children well. They share personalised information about children's development. Staff speak about individual targets for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have a good understanding of how they will support all children to make progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• explore opportunities for children to further explore language and develop their ideas
• support staff to adapt their teaching styles to encourage children to remain focused on learning opportunities.