Inspirations Montessori Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this highly inviting and stimulating nursery. Staff create inspiring learning environments that engage children's interests and enable them to make choices about their play. They provide an enormous range of high-quality resources and ensure that children have ample time to learn through play. As a result, children are deeply engaged. For example, children work in collaboration to develop their problem-solving skills. They build structures using large blocks, and they say, 'not there, it's going to fall'. Children have a passion for learning and are ready to move on to school. They are happy, settled and motivated learners.

Teaching is inspirational. Staff skilfully combine Montessori principles with the early years foundation stage framework. This creates a curriculum that is exciting, challenging and well sequenced, igniting children's curiosity for learning. Staff have a very clear understanding of what they want children to learn. Teaching is adapted to meet the individual needs of the children. This leads to children making excellent progress in all areas of learning.

Children's behaviour is exceptional and highly considerate. Staff work diligently with children to display impeccable manners and high levels of respect for all. They independently learn to share and take turns with toys and resources. For example, when a child wants to play with a toy that another child is already playing with, they fetch the sand timer. They tell staff and the other child that it will be their turn with the toy when the sand runs out.

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

• Promoting children's communication and language skills is a high priority. Staff use pictures, labels and children's home languages to support children's understanding of language. For instance, children share pipettes to squirt water, and they laugh and giggle as they watch patterns appear. Staff narrate children's thoughts and ideas, which enables them to think. Children talk about the creatures that live in the sea. They learn words, such as 'floating' and 'deep'. They are confident in communicating and use a rich vocabulary.
• Children's core strength, large movement and manipulative skills develop exceedingly well. They have access to plenty of space in a truly inspirational outside area, where they run and climb. During an activity, children run when lights turn green and stop when red, they then do star jumps. Children run up hills with ease and control. They eagerly touch their chests to feel their hearts beating fast and listen with curiosity and intent. Enthusiastic staff explain that the heart beats fast when the body works hard.
• Staff are exceedingly skilful in promoting meaningful mathematical learning. They make daily use of mathematical language, such as working out how many children are present and if there are more children than staff. Children count through songs and activities. They compare 'small' and 'large' as they look at the aeroplanes in the sky. Children count the number of dots on paper and write the number. They have an abundance of opportunities to practise. Consistently high-quality teaching ensures that they make excellent progress.
• Children develop excellent levels of independence. Younger children persevere as they take off their coats and boots. They seek support from an adult if needed. Children find their slippers and put them on and self-register. They demonstrate strong self-care skills as they wash their hands and collect their lunch boxes.
• Children develop a deep understanding of their own uniqueness. They learn to embrace similarities and differences. Parents share food and stories about their cultures and ways of life during festivals, international week and Black History Month. Experiences, such as distributing food for harvest festival in the local area, further enrich the curriculum to ensure that children develop a strong understanding of the local community and wider world.
• Staff provide children with an inclusive learning environment. Plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for those who speak English as an additional language are excellent. Highly consistent teaching and interventions are precisely targeted. For example, staff include targets from other professionals into children's support plans. All children make rapid progress in relation to their individual starting points. This means that all children are superbly prepared for their next stage of learning.
• Managers collaborate closely with the staff at every opportunity. Together, their continuous drive to strengthen the opportunities children have access to is inspiring. Staff's well-being is a priority. Effective and meaningful staff supervision sessions are in place. Managers have created a very skilled and dedicated staff team.
• Partnerships with parents are extremely strong. Parents comment on the 'incredible progress' their children are making. They say that with phenomenal support from the nursery their children have gained confidence and thrive. They praise the nursery for the exemplary experiences and care for their children. Home-learning activities are provided for parents so learning can continue to be embedded at home. This ensures very high levels of consistency for children.