Windsor Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this warm and welcoming setting. Their independence is strong in all aspects of their day. This includes changing their shoes, washing the painting easel after they have used it, and cutting their own fruit for snack. Staff are very skilled in helping the children to know what is expected of them. As a result, children behave exceptionally well and follow the routine with ease. For example, they sit patiently at group time waiting for their turn to stand up and tell others about their weekend.

Children show extremely positive attitudes towards learning and move around the independent learning area with confidence. They choose from set activities and persist with focus until they achieve the task. Children engage in activities for sustained periods of time.

Children enjoy sharing books with staff, excitedly guessing what comes next in the story. They are able to complete familiar phrases and choose their favourite book. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings. For instance, at registration, they are asked to choose a card that symbolises how they feel today. The staff talk to the children about why they feel this way today, supporting the children's sense of belonging.

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

• Leaders are enthusiastic and passionate about providing a sequenced curriculum. Staff organise the setting so that children learn in stages and build on what they already know and can do. For example, leaders explain that the children have been practising at organising shape cards in the correct order over the past two weeks. Children rearrange the cards independently for some time until they achieve the goal and line them in order from concrete to abstract correctly.
• Staff consistently encourage good manners. Children have an excellent understanding of behaviour rules and behave well. They carry their own chairs to set placements after group time and follow instructions to gather their tasks for their independent learning. Children concentrate extremely well and understand that they must do so quietly so that they do not disturb others. While singing 'Five current buns' they calmly wait for their turn to take a home-made bun, demonstrating great self-control to not touch them. Respectful relationships between staff and children are strong and children listen to adults at all times, excitedly waiting for the next activity.
• The staff know the children well. Through warm interactions and regular observation, they support children with what they know and can do next. Staff identify when children may need additional support to reach their full potential.
• They are proactive in putting this support in place. The leaders, key persons and parents work closely with other professionals and implement effective individual plans that support those children's learning.
• Staff spend time with the parents when they arrive, and form caring relationships with families. Parents share their positive views of the setting with excitement, saying that it is friendly and their children enjoy attending daily. Parents speak highly of the staff and their efforts in keeping the parents up to date on everything that the children are doing in the setting. One parent proudly said that their four-year-old child can copy sentences from a book now, which they could not do before.
• Leaders engage regularly with staff and understand the pressures on them. They take appropriate action to alleviate this when needed. Leaders speak with staff regularly and ensure that their workload is manageable. Staff discuss their appreciation for the leader's care over the COVID-19 pandemic, where they were supported well.
• There are lots of opportunities during the daily routine for children to learn mathematical concepts in a wide variety of ways. For instance, they count how many shapes there are at registration and take turns in writing the number down. Older children add two numbers together confidently.
• Overall, teaching is strong. However, although staff observe the children as they play, they are not always prompt to recognise when a child may benefit from adult support to extend their enjoyment further. A focus on individualised learning and set outcomes for activities slightly limits opportunities for children to be creative.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the opportunities for children to develop their creative skills
• support staff to recognise when individual children may benefit from more adult support in their play.