Smiles Montessori Pre-School (Bushfair) Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy at the setting. They arrive ready and eager to start their day. Older children meet the familiar staff at the door and go to join their friends for breakfast or to play. Babies come into their room with their parents, who help to settle them. Relationships between staff and children are warm and caring. Throughout the day, babies and children seek support and actively involve staff in their play. Children smile, laugh and frequently have expressions of deep concentration. Staff are highly skilled at promoting children's personal development.

Older children easily articulate their feelings and enjoyment of the activities that staff provide. Children are confident, especially in the presence of the adults that they know well. Staff provide children with very clear guidance about how to behave. They are positive role models, and this helps to ensure that children understand what is expected of them.

Children are active in the local community. They enjoy going to the library and the park. The setting has connections with local organisations such as care homes and the church. Children enjoy charity events, where they raise money for good causes that help others.

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

• Staff plan a wide range of experiences for all children. They focus on supporting children to gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills across each area of learning. Babies have a curriculum based on their needs and interests. Staff support babies to explore and discover things for themselves. As babies find toys that interest them, staff are ready to talk, introducing language, describing and listening to babies' words and sounds.
• Staff promote children's good health to ensure that they are healthy and have good coordination and body strength. The curriculum covers essential aspects of children's development that help them to be able to make friends and work with others. Children have exceptional support to help them to be ready for school. They develop their concentration and learn to be sensible and responsible. The mealtime sessions show how well children behave and their high level of independence and skill as they prepare the tables and serve their food. Children embrace the experience and thoroughly enjoy the relaxed mealtimes.
• Staff help all children to develop their communication skills, including children who speak English as an additional language. They start with signing to support speech. Staff use stories, rhymes and action songs to encourage children to hear and use the words they know and learn. Children have lots of time looking at books with staff. Children enjoy stories and use books to support their play and learning. The setting uses familiar and traditional stories to help children build their knowledge and recall of events. This helps children to tell stories before they can read.
• Staff plan well for children's learning using children's interests and seasonal and cultural events. They offer opportunities for children to build on what they already know and can do. This helps all children to make good progress. Children extend their knowledge of numbers, simple scientific concepts and the world around them. Occasionally, experiences are not precisely matched to individual children's immediate learning needs.
• Parents speak positively about their experience and those of their children at the setting. They appreciate the frequent communication from staff and the high level of support available that is willingly offered. Parents recognise staff as advocates for the children.
• Leaders have very good oversight of the setting. They monitor staff practice effectively to ensure the safety of children and that they receive the educational opportunities they need. The setting arranges training to help staff build their knowledge and keep up to date with current practice. Staff are well supported, and their welfare and well-being are a priority. The setting reviews and reflects on its practice. It takes steps to address concerns and put matters right. All staff, including midday assistants and kitchen staff, have safeguarding and first-aid training to ensure they can support the safe care of children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to precisely match experiences to children's individual learning needs to ensure they are always meaningful.