Dulwich Oaks Montessori Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in this nurturing environment. The key-person system is effective. Staff know all the children well. Children feel safe and secure, as staff quickly form close bonds with children and their parents. Staff have high expectations of children. They plan an ambitious curriculum with plenty of opportunities for children to engage in creative play and develop their independence skills.

Children behave well and show curiosity when approaching activities. Staff make purposeful interactions with them as they play to support their communication and language and vocabulary development. For example, children explore a range of sea creatures in the water tray. Staff support them in naming the different creatures and describing their colours and features.

Staff make effective use of assessments. Staff work closely with external agencies to set targets. Staff speak passionately about the progress children have made since starting nursery and how they are going to prepare them for the next stages of their learning. Individualised learning plans are in place to ensure that all children make progress, including children with English as an additional language (EAL) and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

• There is a strong focus on promoting a love for reading. There are many opportunities throughout the nursery for children to enjoy a wide range of different books that motivate children to read. Staff enthusiastically share stories with children. Staff use stories to introduce children to different letter sounds. Children enjoy finding the different letter sounds for their names.
• There are many opportunities to develop children's small-muscle skills. Children use their pincer grasp to add glitter to their pictures and use tweezers to pick out different insects buried underneath leaves. This supports children's next steps in writing.
• Children listen to adults and show high levels of respect for each other. Staff place great emphasis on developing children's emotional well-being. For example, during a circle time activity, children use the story of 'The Colour Monster' to talk about how they are feeling. They take turns and share ideas. They discuss the impact that different feelings have on their behaviour and the behaviour of others.
• Children have many opportunities to develop physically. For example, through forest school, tennis lessons, climbing on logs, swinging on swings and sliding down slides. Staff encourage children to take appropriate risks and challenges as they play. This allows children to be confident and develop their core strength and physical development.
• Children enjoy playing imaginatively. For example, they make birthday cakes in the mud kitchen, using mixing bowls and spoons, and create musical ensembles in the musical area, banging drums and clanging symbols
• Children enjoy planting and growing a variety of different fruits and vegetables in their garden and are provided with a range of healthy fruits to eat. However, the nursery does not always consider how they can extend children's thinking about the importance of eating healthily in order to support children's learning even further.
• There are many opportunities for children to develop their independence. Children help themselves to snack and use forks and spoons at mealtimes. Children understand the importance of good hygiene practices. However, staff do not consistently take opportunities to model these practices to further support children's independence.
• Parents are extremely happy with the communication they receive from the nursery and say that their children are supported well. They are fully involved in their children's learning and understand their next steps. They are regularly invited into the nursery to share stories and use their skills to run workshops for children.
• The manager and her team are highly skilled and have high expectations. There is a clear vision for improvement, focusing on providing many opportunities for staff to develop professionally. There is a strong focus on supporting children's communication and language skills and developing their confidence and independence as they transition on to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for children to discuss the importance of healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle.
• take further opportunities to model hygiene practices to further promote children's independence.