Islamic Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming setting where they feel happy and safe. Staff are very kind, caring and attentive. They get to know children well. This helps to promote children's emotional well-being. There are extremely high expectations for children's behaviour. Children's behaviour is exceptional.

Children are motivated to learn. They join in with the wide range of opportunities and experiences on offer. Children develop their literacy skills and imaginations well. They write letters, place home-made stamps on envelopes and post them in the post box in the nursery. Children are supported to think about their role in the community and take part in local community events. For example, they contribute to local recycling projects. Children have regular opportunities to learn about different cultures and celebrations in ways that are meaningful to them.

Staff are very aware of the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children and are very sensitive to this. Children's communication and language have been a strong focus. Subsequently, children are confident communicators. All children make good progress from their starting points, including those who receive funded education and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

• Children who attend the nursery arrive happily and rapidly settle at their chosen activities. They develop superb social skills and build very meaningful friendships. Children's behaviour is excellent. They are extremely well mannered, polite and kind, and gain a deep appreciation of their friends and their own achievements. For instance, they welcome other children to join in with their games and tap themselves on the back after their own achievements.
• Children use mathematics during their everyday play and demonstrate a good understanding of the resources they need to explore measurement. For example, they use an extendable tape measure to measure their body parts and towers they build and compare heights and lengths. Children develop good mathematical and critical-thinking skills.
• Throughout the nursery, staff support children's communication and language development very well. Staff actively listen to children's views and are genuinely interested in their thoughts and opinions. Staff model new vocabulary to children and encourage them to take turns and listen to one another.
• Staff plan stimulating activities to enhance children's learning and further their understanding. Staff's teaching skills are mostly effective. However, at times, staff do not clearly consider what specific skills and knowledge they want children to gain through the activities they provide. This means staff do not always focus precisely on what individual children already know and can do, to fully maximise learning and support children to have a depth of knowledge.
• The manager has high expectations of their highly qualified staff team. She provides access to a range of training courses to help staff support the children's learning and development. For example, staff use effective strategies to enable children with SEND, with speech and language development after completing training.
• Children have many opportunities to play energetically, indoors and outside. Children learn about their bodies and breathing as they take part in thoughtfully planned activities that promote mindfulness as well as physical exercise.
• Staff provide children with a range of nutritious healthy lunches. They take great care at mealtimes to ensure that children's dietary needs and individual requirements are met. However, during snack time, staff do not fully promote children's understanding of healthy eating. For instance, the contents of some children's snacks are not always healthy. Staff do not consistently share information with parents about the importance of their children bringing healthy snacks. This does not help children to gain an deeper awareness of good oral health and healthy eating habits.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They comment on the strong relationships between children and staff. Staff keep parents informed about their children's progress through an online learning journal. Parents comment that their children have come on in leaps and bounds.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the staff's understanding of how to deliver the learning intentions for activities, so they clearly know what knowledge and skills they want children to gain
• consider ways to enhance information sharing with parents around encouraging children's healthy eating.