Newpark Montessori Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed to the nursery by staff who are pleased to see them. They are happy and relaxed in this busy nursery and make good friendships. Children behave well and are respectful of each other. The staff help them learn to share, take turns and cooperate.

Children enjoy developing their independence. There are lots of opportunities to pour their own drinks, make choices about what to do and to practise putting on their shoes to go in the garden. Staff know the children well and offer encouragement and support to engage children in their learning.

Children are interested in learning and exploring their surroundings. Staff encourage them to try new things, such as flower arranging and cookie baking. They learn to use a range of equipment, such as scissors, rolling pins and lemon juicers.

Children join in with songs and rhymes confidently. They know the words and actions and request favourites. They particularly enjoy snuggling with staff to share stories, talking about the pictures and opening flaps. They know how to care for books, and handle them with care.

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

• Children have good relationships with staff, who know them well. There is an effective key-person system in place making children feel safe and secure.
• Staff plan appropriate activities to support children's development and monitor progress well. Children are active learners and deeply involved in their play. All children make good progress.
• There is a strong focus on teaching children to be independent and ready for school. Young children put on their shoes and staff teach them to use the water cooler to take a drink. Older children know the daily routines and show confidence in washing up art materials. At lunchtime, children learn to use cutlery and to scrape their plates when they have finished.
• Staff help children understand their emotions by recognising and naming feelings. Older children learn new words to describe how they are feeling, such as angry and frustrated. This helps children learn to manage their feelings and behaviour well.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. Where possible, children with English as an additional language have a key person who speaks their home language, and staff gather key words to support their communication. Staff interact well with children and engage in conversation with them, introducing new words to increase their vocabulary. However, on occasion, some staff use lots of questions and do not always allow younger children time to respond or contribute their own ideas.
• Staff teach children mathematical concepts through everyday activities. Children solve problems. For example, when they notice they do not have enough cups or where there are too many. Staff ask questions to help children think about how many of each item they need. Younger children learn to differentiate colours when finding their own shoes.
• Children are curious and take part in meaningful activities that help them to learn about the world. Older children comment on how the water changes colour as they wash their paint pots. Younger children are fascinated by making bubbling volcanoes. They help plant seeds and water plants in the garden, which are then harvested and eaten, helping them learn about where food comes from.
• Children develop physical skills and hand-eye coordination. Younger children enjoy flower arranging, using tongs and moving around the baby gym. Older children show increasing skill as they complete puzzles, control a pencil to write their name and learn about using their muscles.
• Leaders and managers have high ambitions for the children and work closely with staff to plan an ambitious curriculum. Partnerships with parents are strong and communication is effective. Staff share children's progress regularly and make suggestions for how parents can support learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery staff and value the impact they have on their children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further support children's communication and language by giving them time and opportunity to contribute their own thoughts and ideas.