Patchwork Montessori Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and families are greeted warmly on arrival at this calm and nurturing nursery. Children settle happily and seek out staff and friends for company. They chat together informally while they learn and play together. Leaders strive for and successfully create a consistent, relaxed and stable environment where staff and children genuinely enjoy spending time together.

Key workers know their children well. Time is taken to carefully understand each child, what they enjoy and the routines they follow at home, alongside staff's initial observations. This information is used quickly. For example, staff find out from parents how babies communicate their needs so they can help them settle quickly and match the curriculum specifically to their needs. Children flourish because they feel safe and valued, which helps them to behave well.

Children develop excellent communication skills as they are interested and motivated by the carefully planned activities and the enthusiasm shown by the dedicated staff. For example, children speak effectively as they are encouraged to chat about their knowledge of hot and cold countries. When children learn that red ants only live in hot ones, staff extend their thinking and ask, 'Will they be able to live in Antarctica?' Children and staff share ideas, take turns in conversation and listen and respond to each other.

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

• Children benefit from a sequenced and ambitious curriculum that provides clear progression for all ages. Staff understand what they want children to learn and remember across all seven areas of learning. For example, younger children focus on numbers up to three. Older children are encouraged to count to 20, and then staff help them begin to understand number value. Staff consider the equipment that is provided to complete activities based on the child's stage of development. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make sustained progress from their starting points.
• Staff concentrate on developing children's independence and confidence as a key focus throughout the nursery. Right from the start, they encourage children to do things for themselves. Children choose equipment to play with, and staff carefully support them. For instance, they talk through the steps in toileting by commenting on what to do next. Staff celebrate that this 'empowers' children and builds their confidence. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Managers are focused on developing children's communication and language skills. Staff encourage children to sing songs and nursery rhymes. They enjoy sharing books together. Staff discuss the pictures with children and explore new vocabulary, saying new words and allowing children time to repeat them back. Children learn new vocabulary quickly and are rapidly increasing the number of words they understand. However, some staff are less confident in using a wide range of interactions to support learning. Therefore, on occasion, children do not fully benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.
• Staff have high expectations for all children's behaviour. They model desired behaviours, such as asking for children to show good manners or to share resources with friends. Staff coach children through routines by gently reminding them what is happening now and next. They explain why play dough needs to be put away to stop it drying out to help understanding. This supports children to regulate their behaviour extremely well.
• Children develop perseverance and concentrate as they are encouraged to complete challenging activities. For example, they carefully use small tweezers to move objects from a pot to a tray and back again without giving up, even when they drop one and must try again. This enables children to develop a 'can do' attitude and they are proud when they achieve.
• Leaders are committed to improving staff's understanding of how children learn. Managers act as excellent role models and are highly valued by staff. Supervisions identify individualised professional development opportunities, which ensures ongoing improvements.
• Parents are extremely positive about their partnership with staff and the impact this has on their children's progress, describing this as 'incredible' and 'amazing'. Staff share regular information about children's next steps in learning and ideas on how to extend this at home, including, for example, how to keep children safe in the sun. Managers work closely with other professionals to share information and implement additional support for children with SEND.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the coaching and mentoring of less experienced staff to further develop the consistency of interactions with children.