Lilliput Montessori Day Nursery Leicester Forest East

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming and friendly nursery. Their emotional well-being is supported effectively by the staff. The child's key person greets them warmly when parents hand them over at the nursery door. Staff gather current information from parents about each child at this time. Children engage quickly in their chosen play and are, overall, active learners. Staff make sure they provide a curriculum that builds on the interests of children and supports what each child is ready to learn next. Children are curious in their play and build on their skills and knowledge effectively.

Children's independence skills are supported very well by staff throughout the nursery. Staff help the youngest children make choices in their play and start to do things for themselves. For example, babies, with support from staff, find their shoes and initially try to put these on by themselves. Older children, pour their own drinks, self-serve food safely at lunch time and clear away their own used plates. Children understand what staff expect of them and behave well. Staff help children to share toys and take turns. They regularly use positive words and phrases when praising children's good choices and decisions during their play and learning.

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

• The provider, the manager and the staff team have worked hard to make improvements since the last inspection. Children are now provided with an ambitious curriculum that staff enthusiastically implement. Leaders constantly reflect and strive to deliver high-quality care and education for children, so they are ready for the next stage in their learning, such as school.
• Partnerships with parents have improved immensely since the last inspection and is a strength of the nursery provision. Staff make sure parents receive regular updates about their child's care and learning through daily hand overs and by using an online app. This helps to provide continuity for children between the nursery and home. Parents comment that since their child has started at the nursery they have seen a significant improvement in their child's social, emotional and cognitive development.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's communication and language skills across the nursery. Staff who work with babies make sure they enjoy learning new sounds and begin to make links between sounds and words. Older children enthusiastically engage in conversation with staff. Children use words such as 'massive' to describe the size of their kitchen at home. Staff skilfully build on children's range of vocabulary during these conversations and introduce words such as 'medium'.
• Overall, staff plan activities well for all children. Children, in the main, remain engaged and focused during these activities and experiences. However, at times, the organisation of some group sessions means that younger children, particularly babies, are easily distracted. This does not help babies to remain focused in order to make the best possible progress in their learning and development.
• Staff complete regular assessments of children's development, including the progress check for children aged between two and three years. However, not all staff who work with younger children have a clear understanding of when this progress check should be completed. Staff start this assessment before some children have reached the age of two years. Therefore, the assessment of where these children are in their learning in relation to the progress check is not always accurate.
• Staff who work with babies are attentive and sensitive to babies' individual needs and routines. They offer lots of reassurance and cuddles. Staff ensure babies have a voice and are listened to. For example, staff are sensitive to when they change babies' nappies, and these routines are respectful and unhurried.
• Staff celebrate children's good behaviour by using positive reinforcement. They help children manage conflicts in a safe way. Older children have a good understanding of the importance of respecting personal space. For instance, after finishing their self-care routines and waiting to move into the play area, children remind one another of their own personal space and what makes them feel comfortable. Children then ask if it is alright to give cuddles to their peers. This contributes to children's developing confidence and self-esteem.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the planning and organisation of group activities to ensure that babies remain focused so that they make the very best possible progress in their learning and development
• help staff who work with younger children to gain a clearer understanding of when to complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years old.