The Orchard Montessori Pre-School and Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thrive in this inclusive, well-resourced Montessori pre-school and nursery. Staff communicate effectively with parents to support consistent learning at home and ensure children's interests and care needs are met. Babies hold out their arms to initiate a hug with their familiar key person at the door. This highlights the effectiveness of a well-established key-person system, where children develop secure and caring attachments to the friendly, nurturing staff. Upon entering, children immediately feel safe and a sense of belonging as they admire Christmas decorations they have made, which staff proudly display in the entrance.

Children's physical and emotional well-being are prioritised with an endless number of stimulating indoor and outdoor learning opportunities. Children benefit from regular access to forest school, learning to take risks and testing their physical limits safely in nature. They flourish with the space and freedom to express themselves how they wish. They run and climb and enjoy the peaceful experience of swinging back and forth on the tree swing.

When looking for bugs, staff remind children not to hit logs too hard, as insects may be hibernating and sleeping. Consequently, children show they are developing empathy and care for living things, such as instinctively lowering their voices when they know their peers are sleeping.

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

• Overall, teaching is very good quality. The well-designed curriculum is built around the Montessori method of teaching. Robust, continual professional development ensures staff are enthusiastic and continually striving to meet the needs of children and their families. Effective, ongoing assessments of children's progress ensure that any gaps in learning are identified early and appropriate support is provided.
• Children benefit from sequenced learning, where staff plan activities and experiences that build on what children already know and can do. For example, staff recognise less-confident children and give them the task of handing out cups to their peers at snack time. As children achieve this manageable task, they feel empowered and develop confidence in their abilities, which motivates further learning.
• Daily routines are generally well organised. However, during some times of transition and when there are delays, such as getting children ready to go outdoors, staff are slow to adapt their interactions to ensure children can continually engage in purposeful play.
• Children are well behaved and learn how to play cooperatively. They look after their environment, respectfully taking toys off the shelf and putting them back for others to use. While den building, staff encourage children to work together to carry large sticks. As they carefully negotiate moving the stick together, staff praise their joint efforts. As a result, children are learning important behaviours, such as the value of teamwork.
• Children develop an understanding of mathematical concepts through fun and interactive experiences. Children learn about 'small', 'medium' and 'large' as they help staff sort sticks into height order.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified swiftly and appropriate and sensitive support is continually provided. Strong, ongoing partnership working with parents and outside professionals ensures that all children are making good progress toward reaching their best outcomes.
• Children love reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, supplemented by regular visits from a mobile library where children select books. Staff use books to further extend vocabulary and speech and language development. Staff respond attentively to babies' babbles and support their first words through repeating single words and short sentences.
• Children are becoming increasingly independent in managing their personal needs. Children practise dressing themselves and wash their hands independently before eating. Mealtimes are generally sociable events and children develop good table manners, promoted by staff who eat with them. However, the organisation at mealtimes means that sometimes, younger children become impatient while waiting for long periods at the table to be served their food.
• Parents are extremely complimentary about the calming, safe environment their children are learning in. They applaud the daily face-to-face and online communication they receive from their child's key person, which helps them further support their child's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently manage times of transition between activities more effectively to ensure all children remain engaged in their learning
• review and improve the organisation of mealtimes, so that the needs of all children are considered, and the length of time children spend waiting is reduced.