Riverside Nursery Schools, St Margarets Montessori Twickenham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle exceptionally well into their new learning environment for the summer holiday session. Children benefit from constant support from staff, which ensures their individual needs are met effectively. Children know each other well from their previous setting and show strong relationships as they play cooperatively together. Staff offer lots of hugs and cuddles that help children to feel safe and secure. As a result, children settle quickly on arrival and enjoy a warm welcome from staff. Children actively follow the daily routines and behave well. Staff use a range of strategies to help a few children who are learning to self-regulate their behaviour. For example, staff promptly intervene when needed and talk to children about their emotions and expectations of their behaviour. Consequently, children's engagement in activities is sustained and purposeful.

Managers and staff provide an ambitious and well-planned curriculum for all children. They effectively build on children's learning needs and interests during focus activities and free play time. As a result, children make good progress across all areas of learning. Older children show strong independent learning skills, which help them to prepare to move on in their education. They tidy away toys after using them, sweep up sand and put on aprons when needed. They actively share and take turns during play, showing consideration for others and developing effective social skills.

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

• Managers and staff have successfully met all actions set in the welfare requirements notice. Prompt staff training and team discussions enable all staff to fully understand their safeguarding and child protection responsibilities. Policies and procedures have been updated and reviewed by staff. As a result, staff feel confident that they know what to do if they have concerns about children's welfare or if an allegation is raised against staff.
• Children enjoy a broad range of activities during outside play. Older children confidently build with large boxes, while staff talk about the houses in the story of 'The Three Little Pigs'. Staff talk about the 'stop' and 'go' colours of traffic lights while children confidently ride bicycles at speed, pretending they are on motorcycles. Children dig in the mud and look for minibeasts. However, staff do not consistently consider how to consolidate children's learning interests further in the outside area, such as by considering how to use books and visual props that extend children's learning.
• Children develop high levels of personal independence with lots of praise and encouragement from staff. Children self-serve their own lunch, carefully pour their water and put their plates away. Younger children make good attempts to feed themselves. They enjoy sociable mealtimes, where they talk about the events of the day with staff.
• Staff's frequent interactions with children during their play promotes children's communication and language skills effectively. For example, babies and younger children enjoy exploring collage materials, including feathers. Staff talk about different colours, how the materials feel and how to add them to the sticky paper. They introduce new words as children blow the feathers and watch them float in the air. This strengthens and extends children's vocabulary well.
• Managers are embedding improved arrangements for staff supervision. They closely monitor staff's practice and implement a programme of induction and professional development. This ensures that staff understand the policies and procedures and their roles and responsibilities.
• Older children purposefully use resources and enjoy praise from staff when they complete their task. They skilfully use pencils, rulers, stencils, tape and scissors to create their own artwork. Staff support children well to develop their early literacy skills while writing their names. Children play memory games with staff and keenly identify the hidden objects. They listen intently to books read by staff and develop their literacy skills further while talking about the story together.
• Children extend their physical skills exceptionally well during outside play. They confidently climb the frame and use the slide independently. Younger children balance well as they carefully walk along the beams. Children enjoy using barrels and wheeled toys, showing good control and spatial awareness. Babies develop their walking skills well with lots of praise from staff.
• Managers and the summer staff team work collaboratively. They have a shared vision to support children's transition into the setting for the summer session, while effectively promoting their learning and development. Staff show high regard to promoting children's safety and well-being. They work closely with parents to ensure ongoing communication is effective. Parents say they appreciate the care given to their children for the summer session. They say their children are excited to attend and their dietary needs are met.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend and consolidate children's learning interests further in the outside play area, such as by considering ways to use books and props.