Summertown Montessori Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a welcoming environment to children and families. Staff support and give children a good amount of security, which helps them to feel happy and safe. Staff plan and provide activities that reflect the curriculum well, and children play happily. All children concentrate well and are engaged in purposeful learning that supports their development. Children have many opportunities to be creative. Staff skilfully help to maximise children's learning, for instance while children pretend to make cakes with sand. Staff spark their imaginations by talking to them about what they are making, and build on their mathematical development as they count and talk about sizes and shapes.

Staff support children's imagination and communication well. For example, they engagingly sing songs with the children and together they look and read books. Staff communicate with the children effectively overall. They offer a good ongoing narrative to children as they play, which helps children to hear words in context to help them develop their own understanding. However, at times, some staff do not give children sufficient time to think and respond to questions. Children form good friendships and play cooperatively together. They show they are confident in their surrounding as they talk to visitors. This shows they are self-assured.

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

• Leaders and staff work well together as a team. The newly appointed manager has made significant changes to the nursery to improve the quality of care and education for the children. For example, children now have key learning areas where they can experience all areas of the curriculum.
• Staff know the children well and have formed good relationships with them. Staff accurately assess what children know and use this information to plan for what they need to learn next. This helps children to make good progress in their development.
• Children benefit from daily opportunities to play outside in a safe and secure garden. Children enjoy playing on the swings, have fun with the balls and pipes and take pleasure exploring in the sand. However, staff do not consider how to extend learning and development fully for those who prefer to spend their time outside. For example, they do not put as much thought and planning into outdoor activities as they do for those that take place inside.
• Staff support children's health and well-being and ensure children follow good hygiene routines. Children have opportunities to experiment with new foods. For example, at snack time, children bring a selection of different fruits from home which all children are then able to share. This helps them to experience new foods. Staff understand children's allergies well, and these are safely managed.
• Staff help children to learn how to treat each other with respect, for example when children say they would like a toy from another child. They talk about how to share and use phrases such as 'sharing is caring'. Staff praise and remind children of the 'golden rules' at the nursery. For instance, they thank children for helping and use effective praise. This helps children to be respectful while learning how to be kind.
• Partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in children's welfare are positive. Staff work well with the parents to support their children. They maintain daily exchanges of information to ensure children's needs are met. Parents speak positively about the nursery environment and how caring the staff are towards their children. Staff form partnerships with external agencies to support children and their families as required.
• Staff comment that they are happy at the nursery and feel well supported. They explain they have regular opportunities for training and that they benefit from regular supervisions which helps them to evaluate what works well and what could be developed further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the opportunities for children to think and respond in detail when staff question them
• enhance the outdoor environment and activities to ensure those who prefer to play outside are fully supported in their learning.