Julia's Montessori Nursery

Julia's Montessori Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY243018 Inspection date 13/09/2010 Inspector Jennifer Devine

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Setting address St Mary's Church Hall, Church Street, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2EB Telephone number 020 8979 3236 Term Time Email juliasmontessori@aol.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

Julia's Montessori Nursery registered in 2002. It operates from one main room on the first floor at St Mary's Church Hall, in Hampton. There is also a smaller room on the ground floor which the nursery is planning to use for pre-school children. The premises has a lift for access to the first floor. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and may care for a maximum of 44 children under eight years, all of whom may be in the early years age range. There are currently 47 children on roll in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or physical disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open every week day during school term times. Sessions are from 8.45am to 12noon on Mondays and 8.45am to 3pm on Tuesdays to Fridays. Eight staff work with the

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Description of the setting

children, of whom five have early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards an early years qualification. The setting receives support from Richmond's Early Years and Childcare Team. The nursery follows the Montessori philosophy of teaching.

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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 settled in the nursery environment and are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff know the children well and plan an interesting curriculum to meet their needs and interests well. The nursery is well resourced overall, with a range of Montessori and conventional toys and equipment. Children?s welfare is promoted well, overall. The staff team work well together and have a good understanding of the strengths of the nursery and the areas to develop, so are well placed to maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure risk assessments are carried for each type of outing (Safeguarding and welfare). 30/09/2010

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further?

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

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further?

 improve further children's understanding of equality and diversity by developing ways to monitor the use of resources, such as books, to check This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 that a suitable range promoting positive images is offered daily.

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the early years provision

Robust recruitment procedures are in place, which mean adults working with the children are checked as being suitable to work with them. New staff have an induction period which includes reading and understanding the relevant policies and procedures to promote children's welfare and learning. Staff have a good awareness of safeguarding children and know the procedures to follow if they are concerned for a child's welfare. The nursery is well staffed and they are deployed appropriately to promote children's safety and well-being at all times. Staff act on the advice of outside professionals to revise and improve safety arrangements; for example, they do more detailed risk assessments of the premises and outdoor area to keep children safe. Daily checks help maintain an environment that remains safe and free from any hazards. The main gates are securely locked before children come downstairs to play outdoors; however, risk assessments for outings have not

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the early years provision

There are generally effective systems for self-evaluation in place, which staff share together and reflect on their practices to bring about improvements. All staff access further training courses to keep themselves updated and to extend their skills. The setting is well-equipped with a good range of safe and suitable furniture and equipment, which they use well to promote learning and development. Children's independence is promoted, as they access Montessori equipment and other activities from the low level storage units. Staff have a good knowledge of each child's background and needs. Parents spend time in the setting, settling their child, and this enables the key worker to discuss the children?s individual routines, likes and dislikes.

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the early years provision

Staff are knowledgeable about promoting an inclusive environment for all children, including those children with additional needs and any learning English as an additional language, so all are fully supported. The nursery is adequately resourced with equipment which promotes positive images of diversity, however, this equipment is not always fully utilized; for example, the books are changed and rotated regularly but staff do not always check that the books selected represent a diverse community.

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the early years provision

Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery everyday and are encouraged to share information on their child to enable good working relationships to develop. Children take home their individual progress folders, which enables parents to read about their children's development. Children also choose a library book each week to take home and share with their parents. Formal parents' meetings are held twice a year to discuss observations and assessments in more depth. Regular, useful newsletters and emails keep parents well informed about the nursery. Parental comments indicate that they are extremely satisfied with the care and education their children receive. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The nursery has built up good relationships with the local schools to help with the transition to reception class. Staff have good links with other agencies providing

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the early years provision

support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery has contact with the local Early Years and Childcare Team who provide support in developing the provision.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children are happy and settled and are beginning to explore their new surroundings. Staff are very sensitive to their needs and provide reassurance and comfort to them all the time. Staff set up the room with some planned activities. The children are encouraged to move freely around the environment and make their own choices from the wide range of Montessori equipment stored on low level shelves. The nursery incorporates the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum successfully with Montessori methods of teaching. Staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and have effectively developed planning methods to ensure all children have individual goals to reach in their development. Staff observe children's progress and record the next steps for learning in the individual learning journey files. The nursery atmosphere is generally calm, with children absorbed in their chosen

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and outcomes for children

play. Staff spend time with individuals or groups of children, supporting their play and extending their understanding. Children's independence is fostered well within the nursery. They develop their self-help skills as they learn to tidy up the Montessori equipment after using it and learn to sweep up if something has spilled on the floor, so learning how to behave in safe ways. Additionally, children take part in regular fire evacuation practices, which teaches them about how to get out of the building quickly and safely. They are reminded about the safety rules when indoors, such as not running around, and go down the stairs safely holding onto the handrail as they access the outdoors. Children take themselves to the toilet area and they know they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating, learning well about the importance of healthy lifestyles. Overall, children are well behaved; they respond positively to

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and outcomes for children

praise and encouragement by staff. Any difficulties are handled sensitively and appropriately

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and outcomes for children

Children are developing their pre-writing skills as they draw intricate pictures with lots of detail and attempt to write their names on their work. They enjoy painting at an easel and experiment with mixing the colours. They concentrate when doing hand prints and making masks. Children's understanding of numbers and counting is developing as they use a range of the Montessori equipment. They are able to position the number rods one to 10 and match them up to number cards. Children enjoy a wide range of construction bricks and materials and are interested in making models of dinosaurs or space stations. Children thoroughly enjoy looking at the books; they are learning to turn the pages carefully, and are beginning to follow and retell a story from the picture clues. This all helps them learn useful skills for their future lives. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy exploring the outdoor environment and have great fun with a wide range of resources, such as bicycles, buggies, footballs and hoops. However, due to the nursery being on the first floor the children have set times during the sessions for outdoor play and cannot access the outdoors freely. Children have good opportunities to develop their skills for the future as they have access to a range of programmable toys and resources, such as the digital camera and floor bee bots. Some children also participate in extra curricular computer lessons weekly where they learn to control the mouse and follow simple programmes. All such activities help children develop useful skills for their future lives. 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 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 2 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 2 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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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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