Papillon Montessori 2

Papillion Montessori Pre School (2) Inspection report for early years provision

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EY274516 Unique Reference Number 06 February 2008 Inspection date Christine Bonnett Inspector

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153a Uxbridge Road, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 4EA Setting Address

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E-mail

Devi Prashant Vithlani Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Papillion Montessori Pre-school is one of two pre-schools owned by Mrs Devi Vithlani. It opened in 2004 and operates from six rooms in a converted house in Hatch End, in the London borough of Harrow. A maximum of 34 children may attend the pre-school at any one time. A 'before school' club runs from 08:30, and the school day begins at 09:30. The school day finishes at 15:30, and the 'after school' club closes at 16:30. The clubs and the school are open each weekday during term time. The before and after school clubs are only available for children who attend the pre-school. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 37 children aged from two years to under five years on roll. Of these, 23 children receive funding for nursery education.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs eight staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The Montessori teaching method is adopted within the pre-school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is promoted as all areas of the pre-school are kept clean to prevent any potential risks. By being encouraged to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet, children are learning the importance of adopting good personal care skills. They relate with confidence that germs make you ill. Children's health is further promoted as staff hold first aid certificates, and follow effective procedures to manage any accidents, and administer medication.

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Helping children to be healthy

The parents supply a packed lunch for their child each day, and advice is given to them about healthy eating and what should be avoided. Perishable items are stored in the fridge to ensure they are safe to serve. Fresh fruit and biscuits are provided by the pre-school at break time, with a choice of water or milk to drink. A social time is created as the children sit at their group tables to eat. However, their independence is not fostered as staff hand out the drinks and the fruit is served pre-sliced. Children do not have the opportunity to see the whole fruit and help to prepare it, or pour their own drink.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from being in an environment that is welcoming and friendly, with sufficient space to play comfortably. All the furniture and equipment is very clean and in good condition. Play resources are stored and displayed attractively for children to help themselves to in accordance with the Montessori method of teaching. Each room is equipped with a good range of age-appropriate play materials.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The size of the cloakroom used by the older children, and its open plan lay-out means that children are not afforded sufficient privacy and dignity when using the toilets, particularly at break time. Children queuing in the corridor waiting to wash their hands, and the staff supervising them, have an unobstructed view of the children on the toilets.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is promoted as risk assessments are carried out on all areas of the building, and any potential hazards are minimised to safeguard the children. Fire drills are held regularly to ensure children become familiar with the procedure to help keep themselves safe. The security of the pre-school is good. A visitor’s book is used to record details of all callers, and the high lock fitted on the front door means that no child can leave unseen.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded as staff have a sound knowledge of child protection matters. They are aware of the signs a child may exhibit that may indicate they were being harmed, and the procedure to follow to report concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children arrive happily, and are greeted respectfully by staff. They quickly settle into the very structured routine of the day. All the children sit at their allotted table and carry out the planned task of the session. On completion of this, they tidy up their equipment and place it on the shelf before independently selecting another activity to enjoy. The children understand what

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 is expected of them from a young age, and conform appropriately. The emphasis on structure and routine fosters a sense of belonging and security in the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some activities for the youngest children, particularly creative activities, are overly adult directed. For example, children's hands are placed on rolling pins and they are told to push when playing with dough. In addition, they are also told where to stick items on their boxes during collage work. This does not allow children to explore and investigate materials in their own time and develop their own creativity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children do not have regular and routine access to the garden to enjoy physical exercise in the open air. When they do go outside the time is limited, and there is very little suitable play equipment to encourage the children to be active. For example, quoits and skittles are available, but no bikes, scooters or equipment to enable children to clamber and scramble. Children benefit from regular music sessions, and are learning to listen, and to stop when they hear the cue. They also enjoy story times, and sing familiar songs with enthusiasm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of the teaching and learning is satisfactory. Some staff have a greater understanding of the Foundation Stage than others, and use their knowledge to plan and deliver a range of activities and experiences to enable children to make satisfactory progress. The curriculum is delivered using Montessori teaching methods and the level of challenge is sufficient to interest most of the children. Children are observed, and their achievements are noted. The observations are then evaluated and the information gained is used to plan the next step in the learning process for each child. Each area of learning is generally well supported, and incorporated in the planning. Literacy is particularly well supported, with older children being able to read and write their own names. However, when planning the curriculum, the outside area is not used as an extension of the nursery to enable children to have the opportunity to enjoy the full

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

range of play experiences in the open air. In addition, there is no opportunity for children to experience and explore natural materials, such as sand and water. As a result, children are not developing an understanding of the properties of these materials to enable them to gain knowledge and develop their understanding.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy taking part in the planned themes, and have recently studied aspects relating to the topics of 'Our Bodies' and 'people who help us'. These themes enable children to learn more about themselves and wider society. Children also benefit from the gymnastic sessions held regularly indoors. They learn how to control their bodies as well as enjoying the exercise. Children show good concentration and persist at their chosen task. They are given appropriate praise from staff for their achievements, which help develop their self-esteem and confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are known by the pre-school, and are generally well respected. However, some staff direct the youngest children to only use their right hand, such as when rolling up dough and using utensils. Consequently, children's natural physical development is impeded, which may cause difficulties when learning other skills, such as writing, if they are naturally left-handed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are beginning to learn about and respect their own culture and those of others as the pre-school acknowledges a range of world faith festivals, such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Parents are invited to talk to the children and staff about their customs and traditions so that everyone gains a greater understanding of the world around them. For example, on the day of the inspection the children enjoyed listening to a parent sharing her experience and knowledge of Chinese New Year with them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is very good as they are busily engaged in meaningful activities throughout the session. Staff use age-appropriate and positive methods to manage any difficulties that may arise. The pre-school understands the importance of working closely with parents and all adults involved with the care and education of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to ensure they are given effective support.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers of children who receive nursery education is good. Parents are kept well informed about the developmental progress of their child, and have access to their written records. The pre-school recognises that working in partnership with parents has a positive impact on the wellbeing of the child. News letters are published regularly to inform parents of forthcoming events, and to seek support for outings and with themes, including talking about their cultural traditions. A further example is that parents were requested to supply used yogurt pots to enable the children to make 'smell pots' in a planned activity focussing on the sense of smell. Parent’s days are held twice a year and include the sharing of information about the Foundation Stage. All parents have access to the notice boards in the hall which contain a wealth of relevant information. The manager values the support and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

willingness of the parents to be involved in the life of the group because of the benefits it brings to the children. This positive approach fosters children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The leadership and management of the setting is satisfactory. The manager maintains an overview of the work of her staff and devises plans to enhance any identified areas of weakness. Support is given to staff, both informally on a daily basis and formally through staff appraisals. The manager is committed to the promotion of good quality childcare and encourages staff to increase their skills through further training. The nursery welcomes support from advisory teachers to implement the Foundation Stage.

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Organisation

Children are adequately supervised at all times to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, they work well together as a team and focus on the needs of the children. The routine and structure of the day means that children are fully occupied with activities to promote their learning.

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Organisation

Children's welfare is safeguarded as robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. The written policies and procedures practiced by staff also help ensure children's wellbeing and protection. In addition, all required documentation is maintained. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the pre-school was required to improve the health and safety of children by devising procedure to follow in the event of a child being lost, or uncollected and to ensure that parents sign the medication book. Both of these requirements have been addressed to ensure accurate records are maintained.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The pre-school was also required to ensure staff manage children's behaviour effectively. Since then, the classrooms have been completely reorganised, and the overall number of children reduced. This has resulted in a marked change in the behaviour of the children and enables them to have a positive experience at the group.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Further recommendations were made to introduce more opportunities for children to develop their creativity. Role play scenarios are now set-up with props such as a post office/home corner, and music sessions are held regularly. In addition, new ways have been introduced to keep parents informed about the life of the nursery.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations were also made at the last inspection to improve the nursery education programme. Short term planning has been developed, and now shows the learning intentions for each activity, and how they link into the six areas of learning. Meetings are held regularly to discuss the themes and special projects the group will be covering. In addition, the group was required to ensure effective systems are in place to monitor the quality of teaching and education. The provider/manager maintains an overview of the work of her staff to ensure children make suitable progress.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are satisfactory.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • promote children's independence at break time by enabling them to help prepare and serve themselves • reorganise the break time routine to give children privacy and dignity when using the cloakroom • ensure children have the opportunity to explore and investigate creative play materials independently to develop their imagination and creativity • improve teaching methods to ensure staff allow children to develop their natural skills and abilities, particularly in relation to their hand preference.

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all children have regular and routine access to the outdoor play area and ensure it is equipped with suitable play equipment (applies to care also). • ensure children have routine access to water play, sand play and other materials to develop their senses and understanding of their properties • develop the use of the garden to enable children to experience the full curriculum outdoors.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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