Merry Gold Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well and are happy in this setting. Staff tailor the settling-in process to each individual child. They make sure that arrangements are flexible to meet the needs of each child and their parents and carers. Staff select each child's key person based on the relationship that they build with the adults in the setting. This helps children to quickly develop strong relationships and a sense of safety and security.

The manager and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They teach children to be respectful of each other and the resources in the setting. Children respond to this well. For instance, they tidy away after they have finished with an activity before moving on to another. Children demonstrate consistently good behaviour and politely ask each other if they may join them in an activity or play next to them.

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not currently enter the main room of the setting to drop off or pick up their children. Staff greet the parents at the door to complete a verbal handover with them. However, the manager recognises that new parents to the setting may find it difficult to leave their children at the door. As such, staff take appropriate safety precautions to allow these parents to come into the setting to support the settling-in process for their child.

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

• The manager has an ambitious vision for children's learning and development. She has developed a curriculum that effectively balances the Montessori approach and the seven areas of learning in the early years foundation stage. Staff share this vision and promote it well in their practice. They demonstrate a clear understanding of how both of these approaches complement each other.
• Staff support children's physical development well. Outside, children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their gross motor skills. They run, jump and skip with confidence. Inside, children use large blocks and rods that require two hands and balancing skills to successfully move around. The 'practical life' area encourages children to develop their fine motor skills. Children use tools such as spoons, scoops and tweezers, as well as learning to pour liquids from a jug with ease.
• Staff plan the learning environment to make sure that it is developmentally appropriate and promotes children's capability of teaching themselves through investigation and exploration. They are on hand nearby to support children, if needed. Children respond well to this and independently access the range of opportunities available to them. However, there are times where children would benefit from further adult involvement in some activities. This would provide them with even further challenge to extend their skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The deputy manager leads staff in how to support these children. She has attended appropriate training to ensure that she has the skills to carry out this role. Each child has an individual plan in place that contains activities and learning opportunities to support their learning needs. Staff make effective use of their relationships with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to make sure that they fully understand how to effectively teach children with SEND.
• The manager supports staff well in their professional development. She keeps clear records of the training opportunities that staff have accessed and when they are due to be refreshed. The manager ensures that mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid, is maintained and does not expire. Staff are also encouraged to complete their childcare qualifications while working at the setting.
• The manager has implemented robust recruitment procedures. She ensures that all staff working at the setting are suitable to be able to do so. All staff receive a detailed induction to the setting. They are given reminders of the information they have received and it is displayed for reference.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. They value the feedback they receive from the staff about their children's development and how they can extend their children's learning opportunities at home. The manager has introduced the use of electronic communication via a messaging application, to keep parents even further informed about what their children are doing in the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's involvement in children's play to add even further levels of challenge to extend children's skills.