Port Regis Montessori

Port Regis Montessori Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY413006 Inspection date 29/11/2010 Inspector Cilla Mullane

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Setting address Port Regis Nursing Home, Convent Road, BROADSTAIRS, Kent, CT10 3PR Telephone number 01843600444 Email philippa@tmnurseries.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 assesses 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.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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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

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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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

Port Regis Montessori Nursery opened in 2005. It is one of four settings owned by this provider. It operates from a segregated area of a nursing home, with five classrooms, and a baby cottage with three rooms in Broadstairs, Kent. There are extensive grounds which include a farm area and woodland walk, to which all children have access. There is suitable access to the buildings and many internal steps.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered on the early years register to care for 94 children in this age range. There are currently 130 children on roll, 64 of whom are in receipt of government funding, aged from three months to five years. The provider is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 26 members of staff; of these, 24, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. There are two members of staff working towards appropriate qualifications.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children thrive and make excellent progress in their learning in this carefully organised and welcoming environment, where their individual learning is carefully planned for by skilled staff. They learn independently, concentrating impressively on self chosen activities indoors, where most areas are extremely well resourced, and experiencing nature safely outside in the beautiful and interesting grounds. Their personal, social and emotional development are especially well supported, and so they are gaining many useful skills for the future. The setting is extremely well lead and managed, resulting in a cohesive, very well qualified staff group, who are skilled at interacting with children, and enabling them to make maximum progress from individual starting points. Parents are very included and involved in their children's leaning, and strong partnerships with other people who work with the children help children to make maximum progress. Managers have

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

exceptionally clear and strong vision for future, they use rigorous self-evaluation and monitoring of the provision, driving their excellent capacity to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  increase the range of resources to support children's knowledge of the wider world and diversity, and resources which support an understanding of information technology

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the early years provision

The leadership and management of the nursery is extremely strong. All required documentation is maintained meticulously, and comprehensive policies and procedures guide staff and accurately inform parents. Children's welfare is extremely well promoted. A careful check of staff's Criminal Record Bureau checks is kept, and staff in each room take great care to ensure that staff whose checks are in progress are do not have unsupervised access to children. The setting is safe and clean throughout. There are rigorous procedures in place at lunchtime to check temperatures of food, and staff have a good knowledge of special diets and allergies. Staff are especially vigilant regarding children's safety, for example, carrying out frequent 'head counts' during walks in the woods. Thorough risk assessments of all aspects of the setting for example, pets, and stairs in each room, further ensure children's wellbeing.

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the early years provision

The environment is attractively and thoughtfully set out with high quality furniture, toys and equipment, all of which are fully accessible to all children, and support their learning and development, offering challenge and interest. As a result, children confidently select their chosen resources, and concentrate and persevere impressively with both child initiated and adult led activities. Adult interaction is skilled and sensitive, allowing children to learn independently and at their own speed. Although toys and equipment are plentiful across all areas of learning, there are slightly less resources to promote children's knowledge of the wider world, and slightly limited availability of information technology and programmable toys, for example, to support the role play areas.

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the early years provision

The excellent leadership and management of the setting leads to an outstanding ability to consistently make changes and improvements which benefit children and their parents and carers. Managers of all the settings in this small chain meet regularly to share their expertise, and discuss, for example, staff files, outdoor play, action plans and staff induction. A skilled member of staff has responsibility for monitoring children?s records to check that all children are making good and steady progress. Staffs? individual skills are recognised. For example, a staff member was observed to be working effectively with children with special educational needs, and as a result will benefit from training in this area. Staff are enabled to make decisions about improvements to the rooms for which they are responsible, as they are each allocated a budget, which they can use, for example, to purchase new resources.

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the early years provision

Parents are involved well in their children's learning by contributing to their 'Unique Stories'. They report that they and their children have excellent supportive and friendly relationships with their key persons. Links with other professionals who work with the children are very strong, resulting in support for parents, extra help for individual children where needed. For example, a sign language teacher and a This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 speech and language therapist visit the setting, offering support for children with additional needs and those who speak English as an additional language. This is also beneficial to all the children, as they are keen to join in the group activities. Staff follow the advice of other professionals, continuing their work, such as helping individual children with their speech or physical development. Thus all children make maximum progress.

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and outcomes for children

Children are excited by the super activities provided. When an afternoon member of staff arrives in the toddlers room, they tell her enthusiastically about feeding the Gruffalo, and explain that he hadn't eaten the food as he had gone to London to do his Christmas shopping. The superb grounds of the nursery enable children to experience the natural world safely accompanied by adults. They excitedly pick up feathers and count bird boxes, returning indoors to draw them. They learn how to care for the ducks and Wilbur the pig, who rush to the fence to be fed, and children show a sense of humour, trying to offer them leaves, pretending they are apples. In the woods, they use their imaginations well, leaving fruit for the Gruffalo, and creeping past in case he's nearby.

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and outcomes for children

Systems for planning activities tailored to each child's needs work really well, so all children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals from their starting points. Planning of activities clearly shows that children take part in relevant and meaningful play experiences across all areas of learning. Planning for individual children's progress is informed from their interests and from their key person's careful monitoring of their learning journey, and providing activities to enable the child to move towards the next step. Staff provide activities that enable the children to be active learners and think critically about what they do. Plans are flexible, and staff are quick to respond to events, such as snow, and children's interests, resulting in relevant and interesting child initiated activities. For example, children are excited about the snow and want to make snowflakes, and keen to

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and outcomes for children

discuss and count the bird boxes on the woodland walk.

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and outcomes for children

Children throughout the setting are settled and confident, and are making the most of learning opportunities as a result. In the calm and safe baby cottage, babies especially show that they feel safe through their body language. They are happy to venture off and explore, knowing that familiar adults are nearby. They are confident to take risks, for example, climbing forwards onto a chair, and then trying to turn around to sit down, and adults support this by making sure the environment is safe. Staff support them carefully in their transiting to the next room, taking them for visits to meet the staff there. Older children effectively keep them selves safe, using knives carefully. Children's person, social and emotional development, their independence, and their attainment of skills for the future are impressive. They are encouraged to work as a team, and happily take turns serving themselves with vegetable at lunchtime, and kindly helping their friends.

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and outcomes for children

They glow with pride when praised by staff for persevering and succeeding at the difficult task of tucking their trousers into their socks in order to put on their boots. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 They care for their environment, wrapping dough in plastic film to keep it moist, and covering tables with paper before craft activities. They competently brush their teeth, and know that they should do this at night time too, or 'they will fall out'. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 1 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 1 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 1 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 1

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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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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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