Montessori Garden Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at this friendly, welcoming nursery. They show they enjoy growing and learning together. Leaders and staff have devised a broad curriculum. They plan activities that develop children's curiosity and support their wider development. For example, children participate in regular cooking and yoga activities.

Children explore across the indoor and outdoor areas with confidence. Children learn routines to help them be independent. This includes the very youngest children. They help with serving their own lunch. Staff teach children to be responsible for the tidiness of different learning areas. Older babies neatly put toys away after they finish playing with them.

Staff make good use of moments and times throughout the day to develop children's language and speaking skills. Children are polite, well mannered and well behaved. They show respect for one another and the staff. Children say 'please' and 'thank you' during their interactions.

Children benefit from the nurturing relationships that they have with staff. They trust staff to care for them when they need reassurance. Children learn important self-care practices at the right time. For example, children learn how to put their coat on and use the potty or toilet independently.

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

• Staff ensure that routines are well embedded. Children follow transitions in the routines effortlessly. They eagerly get their coats ready for outdoor play. Babies willingly retire for their naptimes. Older children know what happens next after the daily circle-time activities end.
• Children build good physical skills as they play and explore. Babies move from cruising around indoor equipment to climbing up the slide. Older children build good hand-to-eye coordination as they practise rolling balls to knock over skittles.
• Staff are kind and nurturing. They seek permission from babies before they assist them. Children form good attachments with their key persons. Babies maintain eye contact as staff talk to them. Older children feel free to tell staff about things they like and dislike.
• Staff teach children new words as they play. Young children learn the names of animals and the noises they make from playing 'what's in the basket?'. Children learn action words, such as 'knead', 'mix', 'forwards' and 'backwards', as they roll dough.
• Children behave well wherever they play. They are keen learners and concentrate well during their activities.
• Staff ensure that they correctly pronounce numbers, songs and greetings in French and other community languages. This gives children who speak English as an additional language meaningful opportunities to hear and use their home languages at the nursery.
• Children have hearty appetites. They finish their portions at mealtimes. Children enjoy a good variety of healthy, warm meals, such as tacos, mince beef and salad. Staff sit with children at lunchtimes and engage them in conversations about the importance of eating healthily.
• Parents praise the nursery staff. They say their children are very well cared for. Parents feel their children make good progress in their learning and development and are prepared well for school.
• Staff prepare children well for their next stages in learning. Children learn to express their different feelings. They learn to name and trace letters of the alphabet.
• Key persons get to know their individual children well. They use their observations and knowledge of children's interests to plan activities to move them on in their learning. However, not all staff demonstrate they understand the agreed approaches for supporting individual children. This is because leaders' existing systems for sharing individual children's important information need further strengthening to be fully effective.
• Leaders have reflected and identified areas that need improvement. They have followed the advice of the local authority early years adviser. This has led to improvements in planning activities and the quality of observations. Leaders monitor, coach and support staff to improve their practice. They are committed to building a cohesive and skilled team, despite facing challenges with recruitment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen existing systems for sharing important information about individual children with staff so all staff understand the agreed approaches for supporting individual children
• continue to train, support and coach staff to build the strong, cohesive team that leaders envision.