Montessori Kindergarten Ilfracombe

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to attend. Staff provide a welcoming environment in which children feel safe and form warm bonds with them. Children develop high levels of independence and self-confidence which staff nurture throughout the day. They make their own choices, and learn to manage tasks responsibly for themselves, such as tidying away activities and washing up after their meals. Children develop many practical-life skills. For example, they learn to pour liquids with control and how to fold clothing.

Staff plan and deliver a broad curriculum to support children's individual learning goals, and to help each child fulfil their potential. This includes learning about the wider world, such as finding out about one another's different cultures, beliefs and languages. Children behave extremely well. Staff provide very good role models to help children learn good social skills and positive attitudes. Children listen well, help kindly, are polite and treat others with respect. Staff provide activities to help children to process and manage their emotions. For example, children use the 'Peace Rose' to communicate their feelings and to resolve issues.

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

• Staff know the children well and are clear what they intend them to learn next. They plan focused 'lessons' as well as time for children to play and explore freely. Staff respect and value children's views, choices and interests. This nurture's children's individuality, and helps to keep them engaged and motivated to learn.
• Staff adapt activities according to children's developmental stage, and challenge them well to build further on their learning. For example, children with a very good understanding of the alphabet, learn to write letters and form words to enhance their literacy skills even further.
• Children develop a good understanding of mathematics. They learn about numbers, quantity, size and shape. Staff help older children to progress further, such as introducing complex three-dimensional shapes to learn about.
• Staff help children to develop healthy lifestyles. They practise good hand washing routines and learn how to brush their teeth effectively. Children enjoy sociable mealtimes with nutritious foods. However, on occasions, some staff do not help children to learn how to keep safe at mealtimes when they tip their chairs and put serving tongs in their mouths.
• Children make good progress in their physical development. They enjoy active outdoor play and action songs. They join in meditation sessions after lunch to relax, and use the 'Peaceful Pod' when they need space to rest and play quietly.
• Staff help prepare children well for starting school. Children are confident, independent learners who ask questions when curious. They use one-handed tools to develop their hand muscles, and learn many new words to build their vocabulary. Staff ask children questions to encourage them to think and talk. However, on occasions, some quieter children miss out on opportunities to talk when more confident children take the lead.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents share very positive views of the provision. They state, for example, that staff are extremely caring, take time to communicate with them each day and get to know their children's needs and personalities. Staff take care to include all children and go above and beyond to help them grow socially and academically.
• The provider and staff have a clear vision of the ongoing improvements they intend to make to the quality of provision. Staff benefit from coaching and training to enhance their knowledge and skills. The provider ensures any additional funding for children is used responsibly in order to have the most impact on their learning.
• The provider follows secure recruitment procedures and an induction process to help ensure all staff working with children are suitable. Staff all have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities, and how to keep children safe. Staff appreciate how their wellbeing is valued and nurtured by the very supportive provider.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all children consistently to learn safer eating practice at mealtimes
• develop staff interactions with children to encourage quieter children's communication and language skills even further.