Willows Montessori Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this exciting and welcoming setting. The key-person system allows children to build positive relationships with the kind, nurturing and caring staff. Children show that they feel safe and secure in the staff's care through the cuddles and smiles they offer when they greet the staff who care for them.

Children demonstrate exceptional levels of independence from a very young age. For instance, toddlers who have only recently started walking show that they are able to make independent choices during snack times. They choose from a delicious range of healthy foods and then walk to a table carefully balancing their plates. Children listen and respond as staff offer gentle reminders to use both hands before putting their plate on to the table and sitting down to join their friends. Once finished, they scrape the leftover food into a nearby bin and place their dish in a tray ready to be washed.

As children move through each nursery room, they continue to build on this learning and show high levels of self-care skills. Older children help to prepare meals and show a remarkable awareness of the nursery routine. This includes tidying up after play. Children access dustpans and brushes and sweep floors, tuck chairs back under tables and help to wipe down tabletops. This shows that children's learning is superbly sequenced throughout the setting. Staff consistently build on what children know and can already do.

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

• The inspiring managers offer tailored support for staff. This includes in-depth, quality training packages, supervision sessions and regular well-being support. They also arrange exciting and fun-filled team-building days to help to motivate and enthuse staff. Managers evaluate the overall quality of the setting with precision. They are extremely knowledgeable and are clear in what they want children to learn. They monitor the highly ambitious and challenging curriculum that helps children to make exceptional progress in all areas of their learning.
• The highly qualified staff team are vigilant. They complete meticulous observations and assessments of children's learning. They ignite children's curiosity to learn through being excellent role models. Children remain deeply engaged in their uninterrupted play for long periods of time. They persevere with tasks and challenges. For example, young children spend time twisting and turning puzzle pieces to open objects and find out what is hidden inside. Staff offer calming guidance and encourage children to 'have a go' when they encounter challenges. They rejoice and celebrate with children when they succeed. This helps to promote children's self-confidence.
• Children demonstrate superb physical skills. They take part in exciting and adventurous activities in the nearby woodland area. Children laugh as they create mudslides and race down them in the rain. Children learn about the importance of physical exercise and its effects on their bodies. They develop an excellent understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. For instance, children help to plant vegetables in the nursery allotment and use their produce to make healthy meals.
• Parents offer the highest praise for staff and managers. They comment on the significant progress their children have made since starting at the setting. Parents are invited into the setting for regular parents' evenings and fun open days. Staff share detailed information with parents about their children's learning and how to continue this at home, including through a digital platform. They share accurate assessments and celebrate children's achievements. Parents compliment staff on the smooth transition arrangements between each nursery room and on their regular communication.
• Staff use signs during song and rhyme time to help to promote children's excellent communication and language skills from a very young age. Children who speak English as an additional language make excellent progress and are supported to settle in quickly. Staff create pictures, visual cues and aids for children to understand what happens next in the nursery routine. Staff use detailed information from parents to reflect children's home life and culture in the setting.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make excellent progress in their learning. Staff work closely with parents and professionals to provide individual, tailored support to help meet children's needs. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used to specifically target any gaps in children's learning. For instance, small groups of children benefit from focused communication and language intervention activities to help them to develop their speaking skills.