New World Montessori Schools Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly settle into the warm and welcoming environment that staff provide. They are very confident in their daily routines, such as hanging up their coat and bag before selecting their name card to self-register. Children have caring interactions with staff, who are consistently reassuring and supportive. For example, new children receive lots of attention from their key person to help them settle. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Staff help children to learn about the wider world and the local community they live in. For instance, they teach children about animals and their young after a visit to a large farm. Children also visit the local park to spend time learning about the seasons. Children become increasingly independent in their self-care skills. For example, staff encourage young children to manage their personal care needs and to wash their hands before mealtimes.

Children's behaviour is very good. They are kind and respectful. Staff model positive behaviour and calmly help children to learn what is expected of them. As a result, children play cooperatively, take turns and share resources. Children confidently engage in their chosen activities. They independently put resources away once they have finished playing. Children develop wonderful resilience as they keep trying to find solutions for tasks, such as folding a mat neatly to fit inside an activity box.

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

• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They use discussions with parents to support children's conversations. Older children take part in group activities and take turns to talk and share their views. In addition, staff value and respect children's home languages. They learn and use key words to help children to settle into the nursery. All children, including children who speak English as an additional language, become confident talkers.
• Staff provide a curriculum that combines the Montessori philosophy as well as learning across the early years foundation stage. The curriculum for literacy is well sequenced throughout the nursery. For example, staff frequently read stories to children. Children have free access to a wide range of books, indoors and outside. They enjoy making marks using chalk. Older children confidently form letters as they write their own names. These activities help to develop children's creativity and literacy from an early age.
• Staff incorporate mathematics into everyday activities. They model counting to younger children and encourage them to count past numbers they already know. Older children identify numbers and count out objects. For example, children spontaneously count footsteps as they play outdoors. Staff support children to develop good mathematical skills in measuring activities.
• All children have lots of opportunities to develop their small muscles in their hands. For instance, younger children intently practise cutting pictures using scissors. Older children access practical and real-life activities. For instance, they show increasing control as they pour dry beans from one jug to another. This helps them build the physical strength and control in their hands and fingers that they need to support their early writing skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. They use resources that support specific areas of their development, such as balance skills. Staff promote good hygiene and healthy lifestyles with children. However, they do not consistently extend children's learning about good oral health.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff share information about children's learning and development. Parents comment on the progress their children have made since attending the nursery. They know who their child's key person is and speak highly of the consistent care from staff. Parents say that the weekly newsletter has a positive impact on their involvement in their children's learning.
• The manager and staff work well together as a team. Staff say they feel valued and have regular supervision sessions, which enables good communication. The manager is reflective and committed to the continuous improvement of the nursery. Staff work on extended plans to meet children's individual learning needs. This helps staff to build on their good practice.
• Overall, children make good progress from their starting points in learning and development. Staff use their observations to identify any gaps in children's learning. They plan a wide variety of activities and follow children's interests. However, staff plan and deliver some activities that do not always match the capabilities of the children taking part. As a result, some children do not understand what is being asked of them and lose interest.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children's awareness of oral health further, such as by teaching them about foods that are good for developing healthy teeth
• plan and deliver activities which more closely match the learning intentions to the needs of children at different stages of development.