Cute Kids Montessori Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excited to begin their day in this friendly nursery; they separate from their parents and carers well. Staff know children well, planning activities to support their learning through their interests and what they observe. They prepare engaging resources and activities that motivate children to be curious and to learn. Children share a sense of belonging and are keen to introduce themselves to visitors and tell them about their nursery.

Children spend plenty of time learning outdoors, where they wash the dolls, explore and experiment with different electronic resources and enjoy physical exercise to support their physical skills and healthy lifestyles. Staff praise children for trying hard and children eagerly share a 'high five' with their peers. This motivates them to learn.

Staff teach a wide curriculum through various themes and children's interests. Children are curious about the world around them and how things work. Staff provide opportunities for children to investigate magnets and how they work. Staff support children to be active and curious in their learning. Children eagerly problem-solve as they test different materials on the magnets, enthusiastically talking about what is sticking and what is not.

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

• The curriculum is well designed and sequenced to support children's learning. Staff use activities to extend children's learning through their interests. For example, children concentrate well when trying to move objects into a bowl with magnets in a glass dome. This support develops their small hand muscles for early writing skills and the next stage of their education.
• Children show positive attitudes towards learning. They display high levels of concentration in tasks. However, sometimes, staff's organisation of routines, causes children to wait for prolonged periods of time. Therefore, not supporting all learning opportunities.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. Babies enjoy staff singing nursery rhymes to them and show an interest in books. Older children are provided with opportunities to extend their language skills as staff ask relevant open-ended questions to encourage children to think critically and share what they know. Staff introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary; children confidently use these words during their conversations.
• Overall children are supported to behave well. Children develop strong friendships with peers. However, at times, staff are not always consistent in managing children's unwanted behaviour. For example, some staff clearly explain why some behaviours are not acceptable and support children to understand what it means to share and be kind. Other staff tell the children to share without offering an explanation. This means that children do not always understand staff expectations or how to manage their behaviours.
• Staff support children to develop mathematical concepts by encouraging them to count and compare quantities and size. For example, children eagerly discuss which pot has more and compare different shapes and sizes as they build with magnetic tiles. Children test how fast a ball travels along the ramp.
• Overall, children build a strong sense of self and independence in their choices. For instance, staff encourage children to choose the activities they engage with and where they want to play. However, staff do not use routines and everyday tasks to fully promote and encourage independence and self-care. For example, staff serve children's meals and help them with their jumpers and coats. Additionally, staff carry babies from activity to activity when they can walk. This does not promote children's independence skills.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's individual needs are met. Parents feel informed about their children's learning and receive ideas of how to support their learning at home. For example, staff share regular reports with parents to show the progress that children have made. Parents often join story sessions and circle time, sharing their skills.
• Leaders carry out regular supervision sessions with staff. They use these meetings to identify and support staff's well-being. Staff have opportunities to build on their knowledge and skills through continual professional development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of the daily routines to reduce waiting times for children to ensure they remain consistently engaged in learning
• develop staff with further strategies to help children to learn to regulate their behaviour and emotions
• further support children's independence skills and encourage children to do more things for themselves.