Ladbroke Square Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have a very clear, holistic and child-led approach to how they deliver the curriculum. They place a great emphasis on teaching children to be confident and independent learners. Staff involve children and their parents in their curriculum planning. Staff use children's starting points in development and observations to ensure that children meet their individual milestones and are ready for their next stages in learning.

The nursery prides itself on ensuring that all children develop a positive attitude towards their learning and feel valued and emotionally secure. Staff support children well by using their interests, passions and curiosity to extend and further encourage their chosen play and learning. Children show respect for each other as they play with, and alongside, their friends. Staff use stories and circle-time activities to teach children about empathy and the importance of kindness. Children engage in acts of kindness, such as as they deliver flowers to their neighbours to celebrate 'kindness day'.

Children enjoy the wide range of activities on offer to support them to strengthen their small-muscle skills. For example, staff encourage children to use scissors and glue to make collages, thread beads onto string and use large chalks to mark make in the garden. Staff praise children for their efforts and offer them support when they encounter difficulties.

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

• Children enjoy the many opportunities to develop their independence. For example, they peel and chop fruits for snack time, pour drinks from small jugs, clear their plates after mealtimes and use tongs to serve themselves food. Staff support children well as they problem solve and practise these new skills. Staff promote a solution-focused approach when children encounter difficulties. For example, they model how shoes look and feel when they are on the correct feet.
• Staff take time to talk to children about the variety of fruits and vegetables on offer at snack time and the importance of a healthy balanced diet. They discuss children's likes and dislikes and the names of the different fruits. Staff talk to children about where their food comes from and how different fruits and vegetables grow. Children enjoy being supported by staff to investigate and find out how and where fruits, such as mangos and papayas, grow.
• Staff support children well to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, staff explain the differences between a circle and a rectangle. They model the physical touch of each shape to support children to understand the term 'corner' when identifying the differences. Staff use everyday opportunities to support children's understanding of number. For example, they encourage children to count and stack numbered towers and count their friends in the line.
• Staff support children well in their self-initiated play choices. However, on occasion, during larger group circle times and adult-led group activities, some children struggle to stay engaged for long periods of time and do not access the intended learning. This is because staff do not ensure that these sessions are consistently age-appropriate, timed and paced well.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children sit and wait for their friends to arrive in the morning, line up and help to tidy up and put toys out. Staff take time to listen to children, model manners and use sand timers to support children to understand the concept of turn taking. Children show respect for staff and fully understand what is expected of them at the nursery.
• The management team shows passion for continuous improvement and involves staff in daily evaluations to reflect on their practice. Staff have opportunities to engage in a range of training opportunities, some of which include training to further support them in identifying and providing early intervention for children who have additional needs. Staff feel supported by the management team and enjoy the 'team spirit' of learning from each other.
• Parents are extremely happy with the provision. They have regular meetings to discuss their children's learning and receive parent newsletters. Staff fully support parents with ideas to help at home in managing their children's behaviour and in further supporting their children to be independent. They feel fully involved in their children's learning, and home visits are offered to help with the settling-in process and to ensure children's needs are securely met. Parents are invited in to help and attend parent workshops and celebrations. Parents are fully involved in the self-evaluation process and parent representatives meet on a regular basis with the headteacher to feedback and discuss improvements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan and deliver adult-led sessions that are consistently age-appropriate, timed and paced, to help all children to fully access the intended learning.