Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 18/11/2003 Inspector Name Elizabeth Welborn

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SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Sessional Day Care Setting Name Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery Setting Address Linton Village Hall Main Street,Linton,Wetherby Leeds West Yorkshire LS22 4HL

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REGISTERED PROVIDER DETAILS

Name The partnership of Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery Address Linton Village Hall Linton Wetherby West Yorkshire LS22 4HL

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ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality and standard of day care in accordance with the National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding; and that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

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Information about the setting

Cherry Trees Montessori Nursery Pre-School group opened in 1993 and was taken over by the present joint owners in 1999. It operates from two rooms in the Village Hall at Linton, near Wetherby. Cherry Trees Montessori Nursery serves towns and villages over a wide area. There are currently 23 children from two and a half to under 5 years on roll. This includes 15 funded 3 year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently has no children with special needs or who speak English as an additional language. The group opens five days a week during term times. Sessions are from 9:15 until 12:15 with an option to stay for a lunch club until 13:00 from Mondays to Thursdays. Four of the six staff work with the children each day. Half the staff at each session have early years qualifications. The setting receives support from a teacher from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). The setting uses

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Information about the setting

Montessori methods of teaching to support the children's development in the group.

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How good is the Day Care?

Cherry Tree Montessori Nursery provides good care for children. The rooms are safe, clean, warm and welcoming and the space is used very well. There are clear routines for each session to help the children feel secure. The staff give good attention to the children's individual dietary needs and teach them the importance of following good routines of personal hygiene. They supervise the children very well to keep them safe. There is an excellent range of toys, play equipment and activity resources, which enable the staff to provide the children with enjoyable and stimulating activities to encourage their learning in all areas. The staff interaction with the children is excellent. They encourage the children to explore and work things out for themselves. They know the children very well and when planning activities, the key

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How good is the Day 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 workers ensure that the children's individual needs are met. The staff have good relationships with the parents, sharing information about the setting and it's policies and procedures, as well as keeping them informed about their child's development. Parents and children understand the behaviour policy and the children enjoy the praise they receive for their good behaviour. Documentation is very well organised and the staff are aware of the group's policies and procedures, although all staff's knowledge of child protection issues is basic.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

At the last inspection the group was asked to record incidents concerning the children's behaviour, to share with the parents. They were also asked to obtain information about local child protection procedures. They now have a book to record any incidents of physical restraint and particularly difficult behaviour. They also have the information from the local authority about child protection procedures and contact numbers, in case they have any concerns about the children.

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What is being done well?

• The group is particularly well organised with the rooms set out very well to provide the children with good space to enjoy the wide range of activities. The detailed policies, procedures and activity plans are understood by the staff and carried out effectively at each session. • The excellent range of suitable toys, play equipment and activity resources promotes children's enjoyment and learning in all areas. All resources are particularly well organised and they are cleaned and safety checked regularly. • There are good procedures in place for staff to administer first aid and for children to receive proper care if they are not well. The children are encouraged to follow good routines of personal hygiene and are taught why this is important. • The staff know the children very well and ensure that their individual needs are met. The children learn about the wider world by sampling foods associated with other countries, celebrating various festivals and through

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What is being done well?

playing with the resources which reflect positive images of ethnicity, culture, gender and disability. • The behaviour management policy is shared with the parents and consistently implemented by the staff. The children behave very well and they enjoy the praise they receive for this good behaviour.

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

A very wide range of well planned, stimulating and enjoyable activities are available to the children, some of which are freely accessible and others, more structured with adult support. Excellent interaction by staff, encourages the children to think for

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An aspect of outstanding practice:

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 themselves, explore and solve problems, increasing their confidence and self esteem as well as their knowledge.

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What needs to be improved?

• the staff's awareness of child protection issues.

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CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION

All registered persons must comply with all conditions of registration included on his/her certificate of registration. As a result of this inspection conditions of registration have been imposed / varied / removed and a new certificate of registration will be issued.

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by the time of the next inspection

Std Recommendation 13 Develop all staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection issues.

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by the time of the next 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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How effective is the nursery education?

Cherry Trees Montessori nursery offers overall, very good provision for children. The children make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development, in communication language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. The quality of teaching is very good. Effective planning is in place which is clearly structured to promote the early learning goals (ELG's) and staff are consistent in using effective strategies to help foster children's positive behaviour. Staff use time and resources very well, for example they operate efficient change-overs from one activity to another and the accessibility of resources ensure opportunities are available for children to choose and make decisions. On limited occasions there are some missed opportunities by staff to extend older and more able children's learning. Leadership and management is generally good. There is a clear commitment to

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How effective is the nursery education?

improving the care and education, this includes implementing suggestions made by the advisory teacher and the attendance of training by staff. The staff are an established enthusiastic team that work well together, however there is limited informed teaching by the staff to help challenge the more able children. Partnership with parents is very good. The staff use a variety of methods and provide good information on both the care and education of the children. They are vigilant in ensuring that parents understand this information, for example, a parents information evening, incorporating a slide show is held, to explain what and how the children learn. Staff show respect and understanding for parents and encourage them to be involved in their children's learning.

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What is being done well?

• Children's ability to maintain concentration levels when involved in activities particularly when handling the good quality resources in the Montessori room. Children are developing an understanding of what is right and wrong. • Children communication skills. Children can interact and negotiate with others well. They use speech very well to organise and explore real and imagined experiences, ideas and feelings, for example a three year old child told other children about her apple bobbin experiences at home, she demonstrated the process using actions and words, imagining apples in a mixing bowl, using intonation and expression, and other children joined in, acting this out. • Good quality information on the provision and the care and education of the children, is available. Staff use a variety of methods and are vigilant in ensuring, that parents understand this information, for example they hold a

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What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 parents information evening, incorporating a slide show to explain how the children learn and progress. The staff ensure parents are fully informed of their child's development using a variety of ways for example they provide Summative Reports every year, and parents can access children's profiles at any time upon request. • The clear commitment by the owners to improve the care and education for all the children. They welcome and implement suggestions made by the visiting advisory teacher and promote the development of staff's knowledge and understanding of the foundation stage, through regular training opportunities.

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What needs to be improved?

• opportunities for more able children to develop their knowledge and ensure they are satisfactorily challenged • links between assessment, planning and teaching, for staff to extend more able children's learning.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The improvements since the last inspection have been very good. To improve the programme to promote children's knowledge and understanding of the world, the staff have effectively introduced activities and free choice equipment for children to explore, for example torches, calculators, and measuring tapes. Children are able to have contact with living things through planting bulbs, growing watercress and sunflowers and feeding the pet fish. Through discussion and role play areas i.e. hospital, travel agents and garden centre, children are successfully developing an understanding of some of the features in their environment. The staff have also introduced a computer to support learning in technology, which is being effectively used by children To improve the planning system, the staff have successfully introduced, long, medium and short term plans, which clearly identify the learning objectives and reflect the stepping stones and ELG's.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

To improve the assessment system, the staff have successfully ensured all the areas of learning are covered, within the profiles, and that adequate examples of work are dated and collected in partnership with parents and carers. To strengthen the partnership with parents, the group have successfully introduced a parents evening with a slide show explaining the ELGs. Good quality written information is now given to parents in an information pack regarding the educational provision and in addition to the open door policy, appointments are now made with parents during the summer term to discuss their children's progress. The staff have very successfully improved the programme for physical development,

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What has improved 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 particularly for the use of large equipment. They have successfully created an outdoor area, and purchased large equipment such as wheeled toys and apparatus for balancing, so children may develop skills in this area.

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What has improved 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; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children settle very well. They form good relationships with adults and peers. They are interested excited and motivated to learn and are confident to try new activities. They are independent and able to select resources themselves. Most children are able to maintain very high concentration levels when involved in activities, particularly when handling the good quality resources in the Montessori room. Children are developing an understanding of what is right and wrong.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Very Good Children can interact with others very well. Most children are developing awareness of the listener when interested. They are able to respond enthusiastically to songs and are developing an understanding of the elements of stories through the use of story bag activities. They use speech very well to organise and explore real and imagined experiences, and feelings, for example a three year old child told other children about her apple bobbin experience using intonation and good expression.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can say, recognise and use numbers between 1-5 in familiar context. They are developing an understanding of addition and subtraction through discussion and songs and rhymes. More able children can use language to describe shape and are able to compare, size and quantity. They are developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve problems through water based activities i.e. the 'water world' apparatus.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to find out observe and identify features in the place they live. They can build construct assemble and join materials using appropriate resources and are developing technical skills with equipment, for example, a computer. Children are beginning to develop knowledge of culture and beliefs through use of multi-cultural resources and activities. Both three and four-year-olds are able to successfully talk about present and past events in their lives.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are able to use a range of large equipment i.e. wheeled toys and balancing beams and are developing skills in handling these objects with increasing control and coordination. More able children are developing excellent fine motor skills, and can confidently use tweezers to transport beads from one pot to another. Children are developing an understanding of the importance of good hygiene through everyday practice i.e. washing hands and blowing noses.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children can confidently and enthusiastically sing songs and rhymes from memory. They are able to explore sounds and how these change and can match movement to sound. Children use the imaginative areas of the setting very well and express their thoughts and feelings successfully. They are developing knowledge and understanding through exploring colour, texture and shape in two and three dimensions.

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Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of high quality. Children are making very good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

There are no significant weaknesses to report, but considerations should be given to improving the following: • There were no significant weaknesses identified, the following is a point for consideration; • Ensure planning and teaching are developed in all areas of learning, to become effective in providing more challenge for older children, and those who learn more quickly.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

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WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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STANDARD 1 - SUITABLE PERSON

Adults providing day care, looking after children or having unsupervised access to them are suitable to do so.

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STANDARD 2 - ORGANISATION

The registered person meets required adult: child ratios, ensures that training and qualifications requirements are met and organises space and resources to meet the children's needs effectively.

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STANDARD 3 - CARE, LEARNING AND PLAY

The registered person meets children's individual needs and promotes their welfare. They plan and provide activities and play opportunities to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities.

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STANDARD 4 - PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The premises are safe, secure and suitable for their purpose. They provide adequate space in an appropriate location, are welcoming to children and offer access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development.

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STANDARD 5 - EQUIPMENT

Furniture, equipment and toys are provided which are appropriate for their purpose and help to create an accessible and stimulating environment. They are of suitable design and condition, well maintained and conform to safety standards.

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STANDARD 6 - SAFETY

The registered person takes positive steps to promote safety within the setting and on outings and ensures proper precautions are taken to prevent accidents.

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STANDARD 7 - HEALTH

The registered person promotes the good health of children and takes positive steps to prevent the spread of infection and appropriate measures when they are ill.

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STANDARD 8 - FOOD AND DRINK

Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.

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STANDARD 9 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children.

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

The registered person is aware that some children may have special needs and is

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NEEDS AND DISABILITIES)

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 proactive in ensuring that appropriate action can be taken when such a child is identified or admitted to the provision. Steps are taken to promote the welfare and development of the child within the setting in partnership with the parents and other relevant parties.

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STANDARD 11 - BEHAVIOUR

Adults caring for children in the provision are able to manage a wide range of children's behaviour in a way which promotes their welfare and development.

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STANDARD 12 - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND CARERS

The registered person and staff work in partnership with parents and to meet the needs of the children, both individually and as a group. Information is shared.

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STANDARD 13 - CHILD PROTECTION

The registered person complies with local child protection procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee and ensures that all adults working and looking after children in the provision are able to put the procedures into practice.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

Records, policies and procedures which are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision, or to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. Records about individual children are shared with the child's parent.

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STANDARD 14 - DOCUMENTATION

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000; and Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

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