KidsUniverse Montessori & Day Nursery (Harrow)

Inclusion: Needs attention

Children who have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not consistently supported to make progress based on their individual needs. Staff do not have a consistent approach to ensure meaningful, focused interactions are consistently implemented. Leaders have not yet ensured that all staff consistently adapt their teaching across the different-age groups. While leaders identify children who need additional help and know the strategies to support learning barriers, some staff do not use these strategies or follow individual plans consistently. As a result, some children do not always get the help they need to fully take part in activities or receive targeted play opportunities. For example, children show an interest in size-sequencing blocks but do not know what to do, and staff miss the opportunity to support their learning. This limits progress for some children, including those with SEND. That being said, staff support children who speak English as an additional language by sharing celebrations and learning key words in their home language.

Leaders use additional funding appropriately to purchase resources that meet disadvantaged children's needs, including items that support their physical development.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders attempt to create a curriculum that covers all areas of learning and supports children development both indoor and outdoor. However, the implementation of the curriculum varies across the age groups and throughout the day. Children generally have access to activities that extend their learning. For example, babies play with farm animals while staff encourage them to name them and repeat their sounds, which promote their curiosity and language skills. Older children show perseverance while engaging in a padlock activity that supports their early mathematical skills. Nevertheless, staff's interactions to support children's learning are variable. In addition, organisation of daily routines sometimes hinders children's learning. At times, transitions between activities take too long and children lose interest and their behaviour deteriorates. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not always engaged in meaningful learning opportunities. Leaders' plans to improve this are appropriate. However, those are not embedded yet and it is too soon to determine their impacts on children's outcomes.

There is a positive focus on promoting independence. Children freely access resources to lead their play and take care of their belongings. Younger children take off their shoes and tidy them away. Older children hang up their hats returning from outdoor play. Children are provided with opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they run freely in the garden and complete threading activities.

Achievement: Needs attention

Progress is not consistently secure across all areas of learning. Children's learning is sometimes interrupted and sometimes they do not receive high-quality support due to weaknesses in practice and the key-person system. Children, including those who face barriers to learning, do not always have the opportunity to build effectively on what they already know. Children develop independence and positive physical skills. For example, they wash their hands and eat independently from a young age. Younger children demonstrate hand-eye coordination and dexterity while using busy boards. Older children negotiate space and run skilfully in the garden.

Children develop their communication and language skills. Babies participate in singing times, younger children enjoy familiar stories and repeats their refrains. Older children discuss about which blocks are the 'widest'. However, due to weaknesses in practice and in the key-person system, their learning is not extended as much as it could, and it is sometimes interrupted. As a result, children, including those who face barriers to learning, do not always build effectively on what they already know. Consequently, progress is not consistently secure across all areas of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Staff are not consistent in how they manage children's behaviour. They do not always establish clear boundaries to support children to understand what is expected from them. Some staff do not have the necessary skills to tackle unwanted behaviours yet. For example, staff ask children to stop running in the classroom. When children refuse, staff do not address this swiftly. As a result, some children do not learn the impact that their behaviour is having.

Daily routines are not consistently well planned and, consequently, children are not always sure what is expected from them. For example, after lunch time, they wait too long and without clear guidance on what they are supposed to do next while staff get the equipment ready for sleeping time. As a result, they become restless. Furthermore, lack of consistent high-quality interactions leads to children not always being engaged. This contributes to deteriorations in some children's behaviour.

Overall, relationships between staff and children are positive. Babies seek staff for reassurance and to share cuddles. Older children involve familiar adults in their play. For example, they build constructions with foam bricks together and share laughs when the towers fall down. Leaders monitor attendance and follow up unexplained absences. They work with parents to support their understanding of the importance to bring their children regularly and on time. This helps children to build good habits for the future.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not ensure that children's care needs are entirely met. This is because some routines are not planned well enough to consistently support children's welfare and wellbeing. Transitions between daily routines for younger children are not organised effectively. As a result, children are unclear about what they are expected to do and do not engage in meaningful learning at those times.

Children generally form positive relationship with staff and there is a key-person system in place. However, during some staff absences, the buddy key-person system is not effectively implemented across the setting. In some rooms, not all staff know the children's individual needs well enough to fully promote their emotional wellbeing.

Children develop an awareness of how to keep healthy and manage their personal needs. For example, staff teach them how to keep safe from the heat. Children put hats and sun cream to go and play outside on sunny days. They develop positive hygiene practice as they routinely wash their hands before mealtimes. Children physical development and health are promoted through daily outdoor play and nutritious meals. Staff provide support for children and families during challenging times, such as bereavement, which fosters children's wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders do not use supervision and support effectively to improve the quality of teaching or to ensure that all staff consistently understand and implement procedures, particularly in relation to support children who have barriers to learning and in managing children's behaviour and routines. This means children do not always get clear messages about what is expected from them and some children do not receive the targeted support they need to make swift progress. Leaders acknowledge and are aware that there are areas of practice that need improvement. However, their plans have not been implemented yet and it is too soon to determine their impact on children's outcomes.

Leaders establish positive partnerships with parents and carers. Parents appreciate the support they receive during difficult times. They add that their children are happy to attend and that communication with staff is effective overall.

Staff state that they attend training. Although, this is not targeted to focus on making the improvements that are needed to raise the quality of teaching and practice to be consistent across the setting. Most practitioners speak positively of their role and feel that leaders are considerate of their workload. However, some staff, at times, feel overwhelmed because of their multiple responsibilities.