Holly Tree Montessori Nursery

Holly Grange Montessori Nursery Limited Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY275469 Inspection date 03/03/2011 Inspector Susan Elaine Heap

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Setting address 108 Edgeley Road, Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire, SK3 0TT

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Telephone number 0161 477 5388 Email trudie@hollygrangemontessori.co.uk 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. 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.

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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

Holly Grange Montessori Nursery was registered in 2003. The nursery operates from five rooms in a converted detached house in the Edgeley area of Stockport. There is a fully enclosed play area. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm all year round and is closed for Bank Holidays, the last week in August and one week at Christmas.

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Description of the setting

It is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 30 children in the early years age range may attend at any one time. There are currently 51 children on roll. This includes a number of three-and four-year-old children who are in receipt of nursery education funding. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are 11 members of staff who work directly with children in addition to the manager and the nursery owner. All of these hold relevant childcare qualifications at Level 3. Two members of staff are working towards Early Years Practitioner Status and two members of staff have a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies. The owner manager has a Montessori qualification, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies and is working towards Early Years Practitioner Status.

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Description of the setting

The nursery operates in line with the Montessori educational philosophy.

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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

The whole staff team provide high quality care where each child is valued as an individual and nurtured to enable them to achieve their full potential. Key strengths of the nursery are the high level of professionalism of the staff team; their commitment to ongoing training, and the systems for the whole staff team to effectively evaluate their practice. This ensures that they successfully identify areas for development to drive further improvement. Successful partnership working with parents and other professionals ensures consistency in the high quality of care and learning provided.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve opportunities for all children to explore and learn in a challenging outdoor environment. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded and protected from harm through the nursery's robust procedures and practices. Comprehensive detailed risk assessments of the premises, and also for outings, ensure that safety is continually monitored and reviewed. Emphasis is placed on ensuring that all members of the staff team have attended safeguarding and first aid training. As a result, they have a very good understanding of their responsibilities and the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. All members of staff and volunteers have completed the required vetting procedures and their ongoing suitability is monitored annually.

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the early years provision

The nursery is effectively led and managed by an enthusiastic, conscientious staff team who continually self-evaluate and reflect on their daily practice. This ensures that plans for the future are successfully identified and well-targeted to bring about further improvements to the nursery and outcomes for all children. All recommendations made at the last inspection have been successfully completed. These have had a positive impact on the outcomes for children, in particular safeguarding, the development of children's learning journeys and opportunities for role play. There is a strong commitment to staff training and personal and professional development. This enables staff to take on designated areas of responsibility within the nursery. As a result, staff take great pride in their daily practice. They thoroughly support the learning and development of each child in their care, and promptly adapt to changes in the nursery when necessary.

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the early years provision

There are very good systems in place to inform parents about their child's developmental progress and achievement. This is achieved through ongoing daily discussions, parents' notice boards, the use of a daily diary and parents' meetings. The staff team actively invite parents to contribute their comments and observations to their children's learning journeys. Times of transition, as children are admitted into the nursery or move into a new group room, are particularly handled sensitively and thoroughly to ensure consistency of care. Parents are highly involved in this process which means that their ideas and thoughts are valued and incorporated. As a result, children settle well. Partnerships with other professionals are well established to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make very good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to enjoy a wide range of activities which help to promote their health and well-being and develop their understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, children recently engaged in 'Healthy body, healthy me' week. Each day children took part in a planned range of activities suitable for their age and stage of development. Examples of these included, foot painting activities on 'Move it Monday' for the babies while on 'Tasty This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Tuesday' children made fruit kebabs or smoothies. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise on a daily basis either on visits to the local park or taking part in the weekly activities led by other organisations, such as, songs and rhymes or physical activities. The garden has recently been refurbished to provide a more natural environment for children to explore. They enjoy crawling through the tunnel,

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and outcomes for children

walking across the bridge or riding in cars. These successfully help children to develop their spatial awareness, coordination and balance. Staff have identified planning purposeful play for the outdoor area as an area to develop further.

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and outcomes for children

The premises are safe and secure and the staff team successfully monitor and check the toys, resources and areas to ensure they remain safe and suitable for children's use. Children develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and move confidently around the building. For example, as they move up and down stairs or follow the yellow line which leads them safely to the outdoor play area. Fire drills are practised regularly and all children respond calmly and quickly to evacuate the building safely.

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and outcomes for children

The learning environment is planned thoughtfully so that children can choose what they do from a good range of toys and equipment. These include specific Montessori equipment and are complemented by a range of other toys and resources which are suitable and age-appropriate. Children benefit greatly by being cared for in small groups and the key worker system. As a result, staff have a highly developed knowledge and understanding of each child's individual needs and interests. This successfully enables them to respond to their care, learning and development needs. Children's progress is carefully recorded and monitored in their own learning journeys. These provide a unique and delightful written and pictorial record of children's early years.

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and outcomes for children

The staff team are warm and caring towards the children and place great emphasis on children's emotional well-being, behaviour and manners. Due to the high staff ratio, someone is always ready to give a cuddle or words of encouragement when needed. Positive behaviour is successfully promoted through a range of age appropriate strategies, such as, redirection, reminding them to switch on their 'listening ears' or when necessary, a traffic light system. Children become confident and self-assured as they acquire everyday skills, such as, serving food at lunchtime. They follow their own interests with persistence and concentration and actively engage in their chosen activity, such as, a painting or water activity. The youngest children have lots of opportunities to explore and investigate through sensory play, such as carefully handling items in the treasure baskets or looking at themselves in mirrors. Older children confidently count and

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and outcomes for children

competently recognise and sequence numbers. They use every day technology and programmable toys to support their learning. For example, three- and four-year- old children use a digital camera to take photographs of their favourite things in the nursery. These are attractively displayed with their own comments and keywords to extend their vocabulary. As a result, all children develop key skills for the future. 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 1 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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