Oak Tree Montessori Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

The steps leaders take to remove barriers for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are impressive. For example, they fully embed approaches to supporting children with physical barriers to access their environment. They work extremely closely with parents and expert partners to assess and monitor children's progress through the curriculum. Staff skillfully adapt activities so that children can fully engage in learning. The work leaders and staff do with schools to ensure highly effective transitions is impressive. For example, they share strategies and routines so that children can start the next stage of their education without barriers and continue to achieve alongside their peers.

Staff skillfully support children who are learning to speak English as an additional language. They work closely with parents to assess children's ability in their own language. Staff scaffold support so that children receive targeted and highly effective adaptations to teaching to help them to learn new language. Staff diligently identify gaps in learning for all children and rigorously assess progress. They adapt the curriculum to ensure that all children achieve and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, including school.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design a highly stimulating curriculum that covers in depth all areas of children's learning. Staff skillfully inspire the children's love of reading. Across the pre-school all staff provide enriching opportunities for children to hear stories. They captivate children's imagination through discussions, and storytelling so that children develop a strong grasp of story language. This provides an excellent foundation for early literacy, language skills and a love of reading.

Children feel excited to make choices in their play from a variety of carefully selected activities that support them to reach clear goals. For example, children develop curiosity as they learn mathematical skills. Staff help them to develop number sense, through a variety of exciting problem-solving activities. Staff spark children's interest in exploring scientific experiments. For example, children hone physical skills by using pipettes to move liquids as well as manipulating dough to create shapes. All children engage deeply, they focus and concentrate for long periods. Staff consistently adapt their teaching to ensure everyone can achieve. For example, children with gaps in their understanding learn to use pictures to sequence their day. These strategies are consistently embedded by all staff. This strong shared approach to curriculum delivery helps all children to become independent and thoughtful learners who enjoy the process of learning.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children feel part of a special community at the pre-school where they learn a wide range of skills. For example, children feel excited to share their well honed independence skills as they tidy up after themselves and make decisions about their play. Children learn the fundamental social skills they need to make friends and build relationships. They develop key communication skills by learning key vocabulary and a secure understanding of meanings of words so they can use them in their conversations. For example, they excitedly talk about the colour of the week as they use descriptive language in their play. All children have extremely positive relationships with staff at the pre-school. These key staff help them to manage their feelings and emotions in readiness for learning. All children, including those who need additional support feel confident about themselves as they try new and increasingly tricky tasks. For example, children enthusiastically develop physical skills as they explore water and paint. All children achieve very well across the curriculum. Children feel positive and excited to learn. They have a solid foundation of key skills ready to start the next stage of their learning journey.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The extent to which all staff teach children independence is impressive. Children of all ages confidently do things for themselves and each other. For example, they confidently use tools to cut fruit and vegetables to feed themselves. Staff provide an abundance of opportunities for children to make decisions about their learning. This helps children to consistently feel self-sufficient and drives their motivation to learn.

Staff create a strong culture of acceptance and kindness. Clear expectations are fully embedded throughout the pre-school. For example, children learn to be patient with others. They know that it is important that they give each other space to concentrate and focus. Children make consistently good choices in their play and interactions with one another. Staff diligently track children's attendance and help families to understand the positive impact that regular attendance has on children's achievement.

Staff skilfully adapt routines to scaffold learning for children who need extra support. For example, they consider children's energy levels closely, and the breaks individuals need to regain their focus and readiness to learn. Children's behaviour and attitudes to their learning are consistently positive and impressive.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders give clear messages to children and their families about children's physical health and wellbeing. Staff consistently promote these messages. For example, children have a deep understanding of the importance of nutrition. They congratulate themselves on the healthy foods they eat at lunchtime. Children learn about sustainability and growing in impressive ways. For example, by observing the lifecycle of plants and insects and where food comes from. children develop lifelong healthy eating habits that they continue beyond the pre-school.

Children have plentiful and enriching opportunities for outside learning in the fresh air. Staff have extensive knowledge of how to promote children's physical strength, balance and coordination. Children tend to plants and engage in exercises under the watchful eye of staff. This helps to motivate children to feel excited about movement and physical activity.

All children have extremely positive relationships with staff at the pre-school. These key staff help them to feel safe and happy. All children, including those who need additional support feel confident about themselves and their learning. Staff work closely with expert partners to support children with barriers to their wellbeing. They create and regularly review support alongside parents. This support is consistently implemented by all staff and is of high quality so that children's needs are fully met to promote their wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders engage effectively with parents. They help them to understand their policies and what this means for their practice. Staff engage with families to help them to understand what children know and can do. This helps children to extend their learning at home. Staff enjoy working at the pre-school and feel valued by leaders who consider their wellbeing.

Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum and what this means in practice. This helps staff to carry out their roles well to support children in their learning. Leaders plan to develop opportunities for future learning for staff. They recognise that plans to provide these professional development opportunities to staff are in the early stages. For example, ensuring that staff have opportunities to select training that helps further develop their confidence in delivering group activities. These plans are in their early stages and the impact of them is not yet felt across the pre-school. For example, staff do not yet have consistent opportunities to seek to improve their practice. This limits the ability of staff to use their new knowledge and training to make a positive contribution to the ongoing development of the pre-school.