Tavistock Montessori Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and settle quickly in the care of the pre-school staff. They are secure in the routines staff provide. Children develop independence as they learn to hang up their own coats and help prepare a snack for the group. The manager has a clear ethos based on the 'Montessori' approach. Children learn how to make their own choices about learning and use natural resources. They concentrate as they pour water from a small jug into containers and use resources to learn about number patterns.

Staff build positive relationships with children and their families. While parents do not enter the building due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they comment on how well staff communicate with them about their children's learning. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities feel supported by the caring staff. They comment how delighted they are at the progress their children make. Staff celebrate children's learning and achievements with parents on collection.

Staff ensure younger children have plenty of time to settle in. They support them effectively, for example by providing resources that interest them. For instance, children enjoy playing with model tractors on a play farm. Children behave well. Older children enjoy learning to be part of a group and join in with singing and counting together. Staff engage with the children, tuning into their interests and talking with them about their ideas. Children learn to play cooperatively as they shop together in the role play garden centre. Staff encourage children to develop confidence and play socially together, for example when they share toy vehicles and play together with a garage and road mat.

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

• The manager is proactive in developing the setting. She has completed training as a forest school leader and is developing the outdoor area for children to explore. Children enjoy looking at the bluebells growing and are fascinated by butterflies flying past. Children develop physically as they play in the large garden. They learn about safety as they ride around on balance bikes and challenge themselves to walk along a wooden balancing beam. Younger children delight in running and chasing each other around on the grass. They freely explore the space and benefit from plenty of exercise and fresh air.
• Staff interact with children effectively, helping to develop their language skills. They introduce new vocabulary as the children play with clay, using words such as 'slimy', 'sticky' and 'wet.' Staff teach songs through the day to accompany routines, such as tidying up. They read stories to children, who listen with attention and interest. Older children are enthusiastic as they join in with rhymes to help them learn about the initial sounds in words. Staff identify where some children need further help to develop their speech. They liaise with parents to discuss any gaps in learning and identify ways to help children make progress.
• Staff encourage children to make marks during their play, such as writing shopping lists and creating their own drawings. Children develop good hand-eye coordination as staff patiently wait for them to develop their cutting skills using scissors. Children learn to recognise their own name on their coat peg, and staff provide examples of writing around the room to engage children's interest. However, sometimes staff are not sufficiently precise in planning the curriculum to match children's individual stages of development. For example, staff encourage some younger children to trace their name before they are fully confident in handling a pencil.
• Staff liaise with other professionals to support individual children. They work closely with parents to help children learn skills, such as using a toilet independently. Staff make links with future schools that children will attend to ensure a smooth transition for children.
• The manager ensures all staff complete essential training to fulfil their roles in keeping children safe. She has also completed recent training for her role as the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. The manager provides supervision sessions for staff to reflect on their practice. However, there are not always sufficient opportunities for staff to build on their existing good skills and knowledge, to develop a more consistent and secure understanding of how to meet children's individual needs. For example, staff provide children with interesting and varied opportunities to learn about numbers, but occasionally they do not ensure that children are secure in their understanding of counting before inviting them to recognise numerals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the planning of the curriculum further, particularly in developing the sequencing of children's skills in early writing to help all children make even more progress
• provide further support and coaching for all staff to further develop their skills and knowledge about the curriculum and areas of learning, to meet all children's individual needs.