Faith Montessori Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this nursery, and all children receive high-quality experiences and opportunities. Leaders have a strong focus on inclusion, ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their families get the support they need to thrive. Staff receive the training they need to provide child-centred, responsive care. Staff have created a welcoming and accessible environment that includes sensory areas and quiet spaces. This ensures staff can put their skills and knowledge into practice when managing behaviour, supporting children one to one and teaching children to regulate their emotions.

The key-person system is securely embedded in staff's practice. All children benefit from personalised learning plans and a thoughtful, well-sequenced curriculum. Staff use observations and assessments to consider each child's strengths, interests and needs. Staff make the most of every opportunity to extend children's learning further. For example, as the holidays approach, children discuss what they need for their trips, pack suitcases and head off on excursions in the nursery garden.

Staff are highly successful at giving children a rich set of experiences that celebrate their diversity, similarities and achievements. Partnership with parents is strong. Staff share information regularly to engage parents in their child's learning journey. This helps provide continuity for children and promotes positive attitudes to learning. Children at this nursery make exceptional progress from their starting points and are ready for the next stage in their learning, including starting school.

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

• Staff implement a highly effective curriculum across different ages and stages of development. In the baby rooms, there is a strong focus on sensory learning and creating experiences that spark curiosity. Babies show remarkable focus as they engage with floor-level activities to explore their senses. For instance, babies explore ice and how its state can change using tepid water. This starts babies on a journey of discovery and inquisitive learning.
• When it is time for transitions, staff support both children and parents to understand and adapt to changes, helping them settle into new routines. This happens when children move to the next age-appropriate room, begin toilet training or need support with changes at home such as moving house or bereavement. The transition to primary school is exceptionally well managed. Managers organise a comprehensive review of each child's progress and share the information needed to ensure the best possible transition. This is particularly important for children with SEND who need adjustments in place as soon as they start to continue their successful learning journey.
• Staff expertly engage with the many ways children communicate. Staff recognise that challenging behaviour is a form of communication, and they take time to help children regulate their emotions and express themselves positively. They talk to children at their level, use eye contact and ask questions that boost children's verbal communication skills. In addition, staff support children to express their needs using non-verbal cues, flashcards and visual timetables. Children have positive social interactions and learn to be confident communicators.
• Leaders have established strong links with external agencies that offer additional support for children. Staff can get the expertise to accommodate children's needs and/or any additional training required to deliver specific interventions, promoting each child's learning. This consistent support and children's secure attachments promote their well-being and independence.
• At mealtimes, children receive a nutritious meal, cooked on site. Allergies and preferences are easily accommodated, and staff have an excellent knowledge of all the children in their care. Mealtimes are full of special moments. Staff sit and eat with children, modelling table manners and social conversation. Children who struggle with mealtimes make remarkable progress over time with consistent encouragement from their key persons.
• Parents speak highly of their experience, entrusting their very small children to the baby room. They say the nursery is inviting and homely, and how much they value the support of all the 'aunties', as staff are known. Parents who have faced challenges appreciate the kindness, understanding and support they have received. The strong partnerships with parents give children a sense of security and belonging that enables them to be active learners.
• Leaders foster a working environment that supports staff personally and professionally. This is reflected in low staff turnover and high staff satisfaction levels. Supervision sessions are genuinely reflective, celebrating staff strengths and helping them identify the next steps in their learning. Management uses supervision and observation to plan highly effective professional development opportunities for staff. This contributes to an overall learning ethos at the nursery where staff and children are learning and developing.