Wembley Park Montessori

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a warm and welcoming environment where children are happy and ready to learn. Children show excitement and joy as they quickly join in with their friends and choose their play. Staff provide a range of stimulating and inviting activities for children to engage in as they settle for their day. Staff know children very well and form strong and positive bonds with them. They are readily available to offer children support and warm cuddles throughout the day. This contributes to children's confidence and their sense of safety and security.

Leaders plan a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum, which is sequenced well across the nursery. Staff use children's assessments and adapt their teaching to support children's unique learning styles. They help children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop the knowledge and skills they need to start school. All children make good progress in their development.

Children behave very well. They know what is expected of them and follow the rules of the nursery. Staff act as good role models and encourage children to be kind. They speak to children in a calming and respectful manner. For example, staff ask babies and toddlers for consent before wiping their faces. This shows that children's views and opinions are carefully considered.

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

• Leaders and staff are a diligent team and provide high-quality care and education. Leaders offer regular mentoring, coaching and training, and support staff to share their knowledge and put it into practice. Staff's well-being and ongoing professional development are well promoted. For example, leaders organise an awards ceremony that builds staff's confidence and creates a positive ethos in the nursery.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language development well. Staff help children to learn new words as they play alongside them, sing songs, read and tell stories. Staff provide children with experiences to hear and use their home languages. However, on occasion, staff use too many questions and in quick succession and give little time to answer. This means that staff do not always consistently use effective strategies to support children's language development.
• Staff focus on supporting children to be independent and confident learners. For example, children learn to serve themselves during mealtimes. They clear their spaces once finished and manage their self-care needs independently. These experiences promote a strong sense of capability and belonging within the nursery. Children also enthusiastically put away toys and equipment after activities. This shows that they learn to look after the high-quality resources and learning space available to them.
• Staff teach children the importance of being healthy, including how to care for their teeth. They provide a range of opportunities for children to be physically active. Children go outside often during the day and enjoy exploring and playing games with friends. Children demonstrate their physical skills as they jump, balance and ride bikes. They also join in with regular sports and yoga sessions.
• Children benefit from sequentially building their skills through practical life activities, such as pouring water from jugs. These activities as well as manipulating dough, and sand help to strengthen the small muscles in their hands. This leads to them gaining skills needed to use pencils and scissors with precision.
• Children show positive attitudes to learning and enjoy group activities. They enjoy playing alongside each other and staff skilfully help them to understand the importance of sharing and taking turns. Staff implement, 'Golden rules' that help children to understand what is expected of them.
• An effective key-person system is in place and staff have an in-depth understanding of each child. Staff complete frequent observations of children and use this information to inform their assessment. Leaders and staff use assessment information to ensure that early intervention is accessed should children need additional support. This helps all children, including those with SEND to progress well.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are well established. Parents state their children are happy to attend, have settled well and are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff update parents on the planned curriculum and share ideas to continue learning at home. Leaders invite parents to events and celebrations in the nursery. However, leaders do not yet regularly seek views from parents to help make even further developments to the provision offered.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• aid staff to consistently use effective strategies to support children's language and communication skills even further
• strengthen opportunities to seek views from parents to help evaluate practice and make further developments to already good provision.