Flying Start Montessori

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for all children. They ensure that the highly trained staff team understands child development and quickly identify when children may need additional support. Plans put in place to support children are precisely focused on what they need to develop next. This ensures that all children make swift progress in their learning. Staff use information gathered from professionals and parents to feed into them. Furthermore, leaders ensure that funding is targeted appropriately to meet their individual needs. Consistent approaches are in the place, where children attend more than one setting, which improves outcomes for children, including sharing funding to help narrow the gaps at all times. Leaders and staff maintain regular, meaningful communication with parents. They help them to understand the interventions in place and contribute to their children's progress. Leaders also respond swiftly when families face wider challenges. They offer guidance and signpost them to appropriate services. For example, leaders support parents with referrals to speech and language professionals. This means children receive rapid support that improves outcomes. Parents have a clear understanding of the targeted support provided and how it contributes to their child's development. Leaders are knowledgeable of how to support children from a wide range of backgrounds, including those who speak more than one language.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

All children make excellent progress and are well prepared for the next stage of learning, including starting school. Leaders have developed a curriculum that meets the needs of the cohort of children who attend the setting. Leaders work closely with the staff team and use regular assessments to ensure the curriculum continues to challenge all children. Leaders have an excellent overview of the well-designed, ambitious curriculum and ensure that staff implement it well. Staff continuously adapt their teaching during children's play to help them sequence and embed their knowledge across all areas of learning.

Children experience rich outdoor experiences every day where play is active and purposeful. They navigate space as they run and jump through tyres and build using large-scale blocks. Staff encourage children to take risks in their play and talk to them about how to keep themselves safe. For example, children ride bikes up and down a large mound, with adults close by discussing risks with children. Children learn about the world around them through well-planned garden activities, trips out in the local area and festival celebrations. Children delight as they show visitors the strawberry plants they are growing in the garden. They explain that they cannot be picked yet as they are not the right colour.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make swift and secure progress, especially in areas that will help them most when they move on to school. This is particularly notable for children who arrive at the setting with barriers to their learning. For example, children who once struggled to manage their emotions and behaviours are beginning to manage these independently and get along very well with their peers. Younger children show their secure communication and language development. Babies quickly copy new words and sounds that they hear around them. Children who are learning how to have a conversation with another person start to use expression and tone in their voices, depending on the emotion they are conveying. From a young age, children build firm foundations for their future learning and development. The youngest children are confident in all they do, joining the older children for activities and trying to match their learning. All children across the setting are highly sociable and enjoy the company of each other.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes. From a young age, children follow instructions and cooperate with their peers, sharing and taking turns as they play. Secure routines underpin children's understanding of behaviour expectations. The youngest children are supported by older children to be reminded of what happens next. Children know what to expect throughout the day, which helps them to feel safe, calm and ready to learn.

Children collaborate effectively in their play. Older children show strong self-regulation, waiting patiently and listening to others, while younger children are sensitively guided to develop these skills. Attendance is monitored, and absences are promptly followed up. Parents are aware of the benefit of consistent routines and regular learning to support children's development.

Children at the setting love to learn. They are excited when staff join them at activities, questioning them and always wanting to know more. Older children delight as they are able to enter the 'workstation' independently, something which they have to earn. Children have secure relationships with all staff across the setting. Although a key-person approach is in place, the family feel of the setting means children are happy to seek comfort from all staff. Parents comment on how their children talk about all staff at the setting and the secure relationships they have.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders have made sure there is a constant and consistent approach to promoting children's welfare and wellbeing. The support that staff give children to understand and manage their emotions is highly impactful. Some children need this support more than others, and the work that staff have done specifically around this aspect of children's learning and development is well developed. For example, staff give children jobs when they find sitting for a long time difficult, to minimise this time for them. Staff's knowledge of the children allows them to notice changes in their behaviour, and they put things into place quickly to support them. Children are joyful and friendly and show they feel safe.

Children show they thoroughly enjoy their learning. All children engage in the activities and persevere as staff praise them for their achievements and encourage them to try again if they are not successful the first time. Older children sit and play games together, such as circle games, introducing children's names, showing they can wait and take their turn. They develop the key social skills they will need for starting school.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate, ambitious and committed to consistently reflecting on the setting's priorities. Leaders know families extremely well; they continuously adapt the environment and put early support in place if children encounter any barriers to their learning. Leaders have created a curriculum that focuses on the cohort of children who attend the setting. This information is regularly shared with parents. This builds open and trusting communication, which helps children flourish. Leaders are committed to developing new teaching strategies to challenge children's learning even further. For example, a new mathematics curriculum is being created to enhance children's mathematical knowledge even further. Leaders place high value on staff wellbeing. Highly effective supervision and rigorous monitoring of the curriculum support staff to ensure children have access to high-quality learning experiences. Staff have access to bespoke training and access continuous professional development. Staff share their new knowledge at staff meetings. This embeds practice and ensures consistency for all.

Leaders have forged strong links in the community, including with local schools. They have established strong partnerships with external professionals. As a result, swift support is put in place, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.