LITTLE MONTESSORIANS LTD

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders promote a strong culture of inclusion, where every child feels respected and supported to thrive. Staff receive targeted training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including communication and behaviour strategies, and apply this expertise to assess needs accurately. As a result, staff deliver precise, responsive practice that improves children's language development, emotional regulation and engagement in learning. Leaders ensure that agreed strategies are modelled effectively and applied consistently by all staff. This cohesive approach helps children develop confidence, improve communication and become increasingly independent, leading to sustained progress over time.

Staff observe children closely, identify emerging needs and act promptly to remove barriers. Leaders monitor progress and adjust support as needed. They use observations, assessment and professional discussions effectively to evaluate impact for all children, ensuring sustained progress and narrowing gaps in learning. Staff respond quickly to changes in behaviour, communication and participation, enabling children to build confidence and independence.

Leaders work proactively with families to implement appropriate support without delay. Children with SEND receive timely, effective support and make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders maintain purposeful partnerships with parents, the local authority and other professionals to strengthen practice. They use additional funding strategically towards high-impact practice, improving outcomes for disadvantaged children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of the curriculum and define clearly what they want children to learn. They plan an ambitious curriculum around children's needs and interests that supports learning across all areas of the early years foundation stage. For example, when staff read a story about a porcupine, they skilfully introduce and model new vocabulary to strengthen children's communication and language. Practitioners use strong knowledge of key children to plan next steps that build on prior learning. Positive key-person relationships promote confidence and motivation. Practitioners adapt teaching for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities through targeted support and reasonable adjustments.

Practitioners model positive interactions, support turn-taking and teach children to manage feelings, strengthening confidence and independence. The curriculum provides regular opportunities for physical development. Younger children develop large movements, particularly in the outdoors, and all children access activities that promote fine motor development. However, leaders do not consistently plan for older children to further extend their gross motor development to strengthen their large muscles and coordination.

Teaching generally supports positive progress. However, quality is not consistently strong across all areas. Although children access a wide range of mathematical resources, staff do not always use these moments to extend learning through intentional teaching to fully prepare them for the next stage.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children achieve well and make secure progress from their individual starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and practitioners prepare children mostly well for their next stage of education, including school. Leaders emphasise independence through real-life experiences. For example, children use age-appropriate cutlery, butter their own bread and help prepare fruit for snack time. Children treat resources respectfully and clear them away independently. They take pride in their achievements and share progress with adults and peers. Staff use assessments effectively to plan next steps and adapt teaching, helping to reduce gaps in learning.

Children learn in a language-rich environment, where they develop a love for stories and make consistently good progress. They communicate confidently, use a wide vocabulary, share ideas clearly and take part in purposeful conversations. However, inconsistencies in extending older children's physical development and delivering precise mathematical teaching limit how securely some children embed foundational knowledge before moving on.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children demonstrate consistent positive behaviour and strong attitudes towards learning. Leaders establish clear expectations, and practitioners embed routines well. Children arrive confidently, settle quickly and move independently into their chosen activities. They engage purposefully in play and treat resources with care, showing respect for the environment and for each other. Children play collaboratively and demonstrate a clear understanding of sharing and turn-taking strategies. For example, when children want to use the same shape-matching board, they use a timer and wait patiently for their turn.

Practitioners consistently praise children, using specific feedback to reinforce positive behaviour and strengthen their understanding of expectations and social boundaries. Staff model these behaviours effectively and adapt their approach to reflect children's age, stage of development and individual needs, including for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Through calm, consistent interactions and reasonable adjustments where required, they help all children meet expectations successfully. As a result, children maintain positive relationships and cooperate well with their peers throughout the day.

Leaders actively promote regular attendance. They work closely with families to encourage punctuality and demonstrate the positive impact that consistent attendance has on children's progress and wellbeing. This ensures all children arrive on time, settle quickly and sustain positive attitudes to learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders maintain consistent practices to support children's welfare and wellbeing across the setting. They create a safe, welcoming environment where children feel secure and enjoy learning. Staff promote children's physical health by encouraging healthy food choices and explaining why these choices are important. Hygiene routines are well embedded throughout the day. Children demonstrate good independence in self-care, following clear expectations around handwashing and cleanliness. These routines are reinforced through strong partnership working with families, so children transfer healthy habits into home life.

Staff also ensure that children feel emotionally safe and supported. Positive relationships with key persons help children express their needs and feel confident in the setting. Staff use a range of emotional support resources and books to help children identify and regulate their feelings, build resilience and manage emotions effectively. Children also learn about personal safety, including understanding boundaries, making safe choices and assessing risks during play. Leaders and staff work closely with families to provide consistent care, strengthening children's overall wellbeing.

Children have opportunities to develop their physical health. However, older children do not consistently receive sufficient challenge to strengthen large muscles, coordination and confidence through regular active play.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have established a caring and inclusive provision with a strong sense of community, enabling both staff and children to flourish. They understand the setting's context, challenges and strengths well. They use monitoring, supervision and regular evaluation to identify areas for improvement and drive continuous development. For example, when leaders review the snack routine in line with safer eating guidance, they adjust the timing of snack and staff deployment to strengthen supervision to further promote children's safety, independence and confidence throughout the session.

Leaders communicate a clear vision that guides practice and is well understood by staff. They make decisions in the best interests of all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or face barriers to learning, by allocating targeted support, working closely with external professionals and ensuring timely and effective early intervention. Children benefit from consistently applied routines, secure safeguarding arrangements and robust policies throughout the setting.

Leaders support staff through regular meetings, constructive feedback and focused professional development to enhance practice. However, some inconsistencies remain in mathematical teaching and in opportunities for older children to develop large-muscle skills, which means practice is not yet consistently strong across all areas.