Fountain Montessori Colindale

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly run along the corridor to the setting's door and ring the bell ready to start their day. As staff open the door, children excitedly share details of their journey to the setting. Staff show a genuine interest in what children are saying as they welcome them into the setting.

The setting has developed an ambitious curriculum which combines the Montessori approach and the early years foundation stage. As soon as children come into the setting, they are keen to select an activity or environment to explore. Children confidently self-select their activities, showing sustained focus and concentration as they work hard at their tasks and then tidy away after themselves.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff support children to share and play together collaboratively. Younger children look to older children for help when they find a task difficult. They ask politely for help and their friends willingly help. Staff encourage older children to build the confidence of those younger by clapping their efforts when they have worked together to complete the activity. This helps children to develop pride in their achievements. When children later manage to problem-solve and complete another puzzle independently, they joyfully show high levels of satisfaction.

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

• Staff know children well. They talk about how children have progressed since beginning at the setting. Staff have clear next steps in learning in place for each child. They regularly review what children need to learn next and build on their learning. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Staff support children to be independent in all areas of their day. As children enter the nursery, staff encourage them to take off their outdoor shoes and coats and put these in the appropriate places. At the breakfast table, children use tongs or spoons to put cereal into their bowls. Children carefully use a jug to add milk and then take their bowls to sit with their friends.
• Overall, staff deliver the curriculum for communication within the setting well. They provide a narrative to children's play. Staff introduce contextual language as children engage in new experiences, growing children's vocabulary and understanding. However, when staff ask children questions, they can be too quick to ask questions repeatedly in several different ways. They provide answers rapidly and do not consistently allow children the opportunity to recall what they have learned.
• Staff support children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well within the setting. Staff work in partnership with other agencies involved with children's learning, such as speech and language therapists. Children have individual plans in place and staff support them to access all areas of the curriculum at their own pace.
• Staff help children to learn about staying healthy. For example, they provide a table filled with different fruits and vegetables to provides opportunities for children to touch, smell and taste a selection of produce. Children talk about their own preferences and make links with how they make soup at home. Staff support children to understand how eating different vegetables has an impact on their bodies, such as aubergine helps with digestion.
• Partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents comment that staff within the setting are very approachable. They understand the goals that their children are working towards and appreciate the home learning children receive each week. They describe the excitement with which their children approach these home learning tasks as staff make learning fun. Parents value the time they can spend in the setting for special occasions, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and the annual sports day.
• Staff feel well supported. They have regular opportunities to meet with senior leaders to discuss their professional and personal development. Leaders and staff are self-reflective and regular seek feedback from parents, children and staff. They evaluate this feedback to look at how they can continue to improve on the service they provide.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how to pose questions to give children time to reflect on what is being asked and recall information, to further develop their conversational skills.