Mace Montessori Nursery

Mace Montessori Schools Wandsworth Branch Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY395978 Inspection date 02/02/2010 Inspector Mauvene Burke

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Setting address 69 Thorparch Road, LONDON, SW8 4RH

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Telephone number 07866260661 Email macemontessori@hotmail.com Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Mace Montessori opened in 2009 and is one of four nurseries run by Mace Montessori Schools Ltd. It operates from three classrooms in a purpose built building in the Larkhall ward of the borough of Wandsworth. The school is easily accessible with no stairs leading into the building. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 52 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 52 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 27 children aged from birth to under five on roll, some in part-time places.

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Description of the setting

Children come from the local and wider community. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs eight members of staff including the manager, the receptionist and the cook. All of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications. The teaching method used is Montessori which is combined with the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a safe environment by a supportive staff team. Their clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and how to apply it effectively in practice means that children make good progress in their learning and development. The setting works well in partnership with parents and carers to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment. The manager/provider is strongly committed to continuously evaluating the work of the setting and enhancing the existing good practice for the benefit of the children and the professional development of his staff.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure that an accurate record of children's hours of attendance is maintained at all times (Documentation). 20/02/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 ensure that there are clear systems in place and consistency across the board when planning and identifying the next steps in individual children's learning improve opportunities for children to move freely and spontaneously around This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the nursery to improve their decision making with regards to outdoor play.

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the early years provision

The stable nursery team works effectively together, benefiting from the strong and positive leadership. The manager is very much 'hands on' and works alongside the staff to complement and support them throughout the day and at busy periods. Staff are well-qualified, skilled and enthusiastic in their approach and strive to provide quality care and education for all children. Robust safeguarding procedures mean that children's welfare is consistently promoted. Staff attend regular training to update their knowledge and ensure that they are able to work together to protect children. Stringent employment checks are carried out to make sure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Systems are in place to ensure the premises remain secure and thorough risk assessments are carried out to identify and minimise any risks to the children’s safety. There are good security systems in place to ensure no one enters the premises uninvited. All visitors are monitored on

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the early years provision

the CCTV screen before being admitted by staff. The records, policies and procedures that are required for the safe and efficient management of the setting and to ensure the children’s needs are met, are also maintained. This further contributes towards safeguarding children. However, an accurate record of the children's daily hours of attendance is not always appropriately maintained, the maintenance of this record is a specific requirement of the EYFS.

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the early years provision

The leaders and staff team have a clear vision for the future of the setting and have identified areas they wish to improve. These include; improving their links with local schools, improving the outdoor play space and continuing to be analytical about their provision to improve the outcomes for children. The staff's commitment to continuous improvement is good; reflective practice in each room ensures that staff are constantly evaluating their practice on a very regular basis. Resources are of an extremely high quality and attention to child-height storage and furniture throughout the setting enables children to play and learn at their own pace, in comfort and safety. Children are learning about the importance of protecting their environment through the introduction of recycling and the nursery having a 'paper-free' system in place.

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the early years provision

The nursery actively promotes equality of opportunity; all children and their families are valued and respected. Parents of children who have English as a second language are actively encouraged to share key words used at home so these may be used to communicate with children within the nursery setting, thus enabling the setting to be fully inclusive. All children benefit from this as they learn to value and respect differences. Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery and staff are friendly and approachable. The many notices and posters displayed give parents lots of information about the activities and learning that their children take part in. Parents are given daily written sheets which record sleep, meals and care needs of their children. In addition to this, parents are given a communication book complete with photographs of their children involved in a variety of activities and which charts their progress. Parents are invited to make comments and work

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the early years provision

with children at home. Good settling-in visits and procedures support new children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and parents as they become familiar with the nursery, staff and routines. Parents spoken to speak highly about the service that their children receive at this setting. At the time that the inspection took place, there were no children attending who required support from outside agencies. However, staff demonstrate an awareness of the early signs of need that could lead to later difficulties in children's learning and know what action to take.

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and outcomes for children

Most children come into the setting happily and settle quickly into the daily routine. In addition, the effective key person system encourages children to feel settled and secure. Consequently, children are happy, confident and spend their time purposefully engaged in a range of interesting activities that promote their learning in all areas. The nursery operates to the Montessori method of teaching which provides children with good opportunities to safely self-select activities and resources from the interesting selection available and effectively presented at their height. Children are generally making sound progress in relation to their starting points because staff have a knowledge of how children learn and develop. Children are observed regularly as they play. Their level of attainment in each of the six areas of learning is assessed and the next step in their unique learning journey is planned. However, the effectiveness of these for all the children vary as some

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and outcomes for children

steps are not always clearly identified in terms of what children need to learn next. Nonetheless, a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities is provided and younger children in this setting benefit greatly and appreciate close adult interaction. Although children have good opportunities to choose activities for themselves, they are not always given the opportunity to decide whether they wish to play indoors or out because the door to the outside play area is kept closed. This hinders children's freedom of choice.

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and outcomes for children

Children's personal, emotional and social development is developing extremely well. They are developing their personal independence skills when putting on and taking of their clothes, when filling their beakers up with drinking water and when selecting their fruits. They are very polite to each other and to staff, often saying 'thank you' and 'please' without any prompts from the adults. They are learning to take turns, for example, when lining up to wash their hands or use of a resource and willingly share and offer to give up something to another child without any fuss. Older children show good levels of concentration and interest when using the Montessori equipment. Children's behaviour in this setting is good. Children enjoy listening to stories and join in with familiar ones such as 'Peace at Last', they find it funny when the staff exaggerate the sounds that certain characters in the book make. Children are handling books well and confidently turn pages appropriately.

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and outcomes for children

Babies make gurgling sounds of pleasure as they look at their reflection in the mirrors and show levels of curiosity as they explore the tents and the tunnels. Children have opportunities to be creative as the mix paints of different colours together; glue and stick crepe paper onto their Tiger Mask in preparation for the Chinese New Year and play in the home corner. They are encouraged to use their senses as staff use good questioning techniques to make children think about what they can see, hear and smell. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children are cared for in a clean and well-kept premises where they have ample space to move around and play. They are kept secure through good procedures for entry to the building and experience good levels of supervision by the staff. Children develop a clear understanding about keeping themselves safe as they follow the staff's sound guidance. They know that it is dangerous to run about in

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and outcomes for children

the classroom, so they all walk; they know that they need to put resources back on the storage shelves when they have finished playing with them and are aware that they practise fire drills in case there is a fire. This positively contributes to children developing a sense of danger. Children develop a sensitive awareness of diversity and an understanding of the needs of others. For example, they learn about different festivals such as Eid when children are encouraged to share their Henna painted hand designs and costumes with each other, celebrated Christmas and will be introduced to the Chinese New Year. Children are encouraged to enjoy healthy snacks, including fresh fruit. They are developing a good awareness of their own personal hygiene as they follow daily routines and are encouraged by the staff to be independent. Staff’s good understanding of the children's individual personalities promotes effective behaviour management. They use a positive and

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and outcomes for children

consistent approach to managing behaviour, which takes into account children's understanding and maturity.

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing good skills for the future. They access an exciting range of resources which enables them to explore pre-reading and writing skills. They use the well-presented Montessori equipment to learn about solving problems and developing mathematical concepts. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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