Frinton Montessori

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter Frinton Montessori confidently with big smiles on their faces. They are greeted by an equally big smile from the nursery manager, who takes time to welcome each child and their parents individually. Children become immediately engaged and involved in play of their choice. They greet their friends with affection and begin their learning journey enthusiastically. Children are extremely articulate and hold purposeful conversations with the adults and their friends. A group of excited adventurers draw a map of the garden for the rest of their friends to follow to find the 'dinosaurs'. Children squeal with delight and exclaim their awe at the size of an imagined triceratops.

Children behave exceptionally well. They show high levels of respect for each other and know the rules and boundaries well. Children take great pride in playing an active part in the daily routines. They enthusiastically help to lay the tables for snack and main meals with tablecloths, glasses and cutlery, taking time to set them correctly. Children make exceptionally good progress from their starting points. Staff demonstrate extensive knowledge of every child and have high expectations for their successful learning. They expertly build on children's current knowledge at a pace that is right for each child.

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

• Leadership is exemplary. The co-owners, who are also the managers, work extremely well together. Staff are given excellent opportunities to enhance and develop their knowledge and expertise. They are encouraged to take up all available training. Leaders share their Montessori knowledge with those who have different childcare or teaching backgrounds.
• Partnerships with parents are exceptionally good. All parents describe how they appreciate the outstanding attention to detail the managers and staff have in all aspects of the provision. Many parents comment on the superb support they and their children received from the managers and staff during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic national lockdowns.
• Staff superbly extend children's knowledge as they notice their immediate interests and thoroughly broaden and deepen children's understanding. For example, they use the internet to look up an animal the children are describing. Once they find it, they discuss the facts about the animal. Children ask clear and meaningful questions about its habitat and whether it lives in this country. Staff expertly help them to identify the animal's country of origin and show them how far it is from England on a globe.
• Staff and managers place extremely high emphasis on children's well-being. They use 'colour monsters' to help children to articulate how they are feeling. Children understand the concept. They demonstrate empathy when another child hurts themselves, by bringing them the blue colour monster because they are sad.
• Children regularly participate in mindfulness activities. Staff deliver a relaxing and purposeful mindfulness session each day, where children sit together and follow simple actions to help them to feel calm. The session ends with gentle giggling as they watch their 'belly friend', who has been placed on their tummy, rise and fall as they breath in and out.
• Staff use their expert knowledge of the children to determine the best use for additional funding. They insightfully purchase resources that children use to reach the full potential of their social skills. Managers help parents to seek the support that is available to them from other services for the full benefit of their children.
• Children have excellent opportunities to learn about other people's cultures and traditions. Their heritage languages are respected. Children are encouraged to record a voice message for relatives living in other countries on special days, such as St Patrick's Day.
• Managers supported children and families effectively when they were unable to attend the setting during the national lockdowns. They provided individual learning bags for parents to collect from the front of the setting. These contained learning activities and ideas to build on the child's known knowledge. Parents say that a highlight was the Easter bonnet resources provided to the children at Easter, followed by a virtual Easter bonnet parade.