Honey Bears Montessori

Inclusion: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure they meet the needs of all children effectively. Leaders do not ensure staff understand and support children who need additional help. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may be vulnerable. Leaders do not ensure staff have the information needed to support these children. As a result, staff do not provide consistent or targeted support. Leaders do not ensure staff are aware of or implement information and strategies to use from individual support plans. Staff do not adapt teaching or interactions to meet individual needs well enough. This limits children's access to the curriculum and their progress in learning. They do not ensure inclusive practice is consistently effective.

Despite this, staff engage attentively with children, and this supports children in developing positive attitudes to learning and engagement in play with interest. Staff interact warmly with children and show kindness in their interactions. Children build relationships and play alongside their peers. They follow routines and make choices in their play. This supports their growing independence and confidence. Children join in activities, such as music sessions, and listen attentively. They follow instructions, take turns and cooperate with others.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Staff do not consistently deliver teaching that meets children's stage of development. Staff do not always adapt activities effectively or build on what children already know. At times, activities are presented in ways that are too complex for children to fully understand. This reduces engagement and limits children's ability to achieve the intended learning.

Despite this, staff provide a range of rich-learning opportunities based on children's interests. Staff plan activities such as space-themed play, where children dress up, build models and explore ideas together. Staff support children to learn about the world around them. For example, children learn about their local neighbourhood through visits and discussions about places such as shops and the post office. Staff interact warmly with children and join in their play. They use questioning and hold high-quality interactions with children. However, they do not typically give children enough time to respond during conversations. This limits children's progress in developing their thinking and communication skills, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff support children's early mathematical development. Children count, compare size and use language such as big, small and more during play. However, staff do not consistently build on this learning to deepen understanding or support all children to achieve their potential.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children make variable progress due to inconsistencies in teaching and support. Some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not receive consistent targeted support. At times, staff do not give children enough time to respond when asking questions. This limits opportunities for children to express their ideas and thoughts and develop their language further.

Despite this, children show positive attitudes to learning and engage in activities with interest. They follow routines and manage their own needs with growing independence. Children develop listening and attention skills during group activities and sustain focus during some shared experiences. For example, children follow their interests in dinosaurs through stories told using props that sustain their engagement. They name different dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus-Rex, demonstrating developing vocabulary and understanding. Children use simple mathematical language, such as big, small and more, during play. Overall, children make progress, but this is not consistent for all.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders do not take a strategic approach to monitoring children's attendance, particularly for those who may be vulnerable. Leaders do not evaluate patterns of absence or ensure staff follow up concerns in a timely way. Staff do not have the information they need to monitor attendance and respond to concerns. This limits their ability to support children's welfare and reduces their awareness of potential risks.

Despite this, staff act as strong role models and teach children to be kind and respectful. They embed this consistently in daily practice through clear expectations and positive interactions. Consequently, children behave very well and show respect for others. They understand what staff expect and follow routines with confidence.

Children take responsibility for their environment and care for it well. For example, they tidy resources and clean up after themselves. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and engage well in activities. They show growing independence as they manage routines, care for their belongings and make choices in their play. Children cooperate with others, take turns and build positive relationships with their peers and adults.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that the key-person system works effectively. Systems to share information about children are not robust. As a result, staff do not always support children's individual needs well enough.

Despite this, staff build warm relationships and create a calm environment. They supervise children during snack and mealtimes to keep them safe. Children sit in small social groups with their friends, supported by staff who join in their conversations. They eat fruit and talk about where it comes from, such as how apples are grown. This supports their understanding of healthy eating and where food originates from and an understanding of the wider world. Children bring packed lunch boxes from home and manage their belongings independently. Staff promote good hygiene and encourage handwashing. Older children manage their self-care needs with growing independence.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective. There are systematic failures in leadership and governance, particularly in how leaders communicate. Leaders do not ensure they obtain and gather key information when children start at the setting. They do not ensure staff have the information they need to understand children's needs or respond appropriately to support and safeguard them. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may be vulnerable. Leaders do not ensure that a suitably informed person with full knowledge of individual children's safeguarding concerns is available at all times. This creates gaps in oversight and prevents staff from monitoring children, including their attendance consistently, to keep them safe.

Leaders do not establish effective systems to support consistent practice. Leaders do not implement the key-person approach effectively and do not deploy staff appropriately. Leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching and curriculum delivery closely enough to identify and address weaknesses. Leaders do not use supervision effectively, which results in variation in teaching and care.

Leaders maintain links with the local authority to access support and training and to ensure staff complete mandatory training, such as safeguarding and first aid. Staff report that they feel supported in their roles and understand procedures for reporting concerns.