Kia Mena Montessori Pre School

Kia Mena Montessori Pre School Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 405131 Inspection date 30/11/2011 Inspector Rebecca Hurst

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Setting address Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 5AS

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Telephone number 020 8658 9009 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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 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

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

Kia Mena Montessori Pre School is a privately owned group operating from single storey premises in the cricket club grounds at Beckenham, Kent. The pre school registered in 1994 and has operated from this venue since 2001. There is a main playroom, a smaller adjoining room and an enclosed, undercover area for outdoor play. During the summer, children access a grassed area. The pre-school opens each weekday during term time from 9.15am to 12:30pm. Afternoon sessions run each weekday from 1.15pm to 4.30pm; a lunch time session is available from 12.30pm until 1.15pm. The owner holds a Montessori Teaching Diploma. All teaching staff hold early years qualifications. One member of staff is currently training towards an early years degree and a teaching assistant is training towards an initial early years qualification. A minimum of five staff support the children at each session. The pre-school is on the Early Years Register to care for 34 children

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Description of the setting

from two to under five years; of these, a maximum of eight children may be under three years. There are currently 70 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. It operates according to the Montessori ethos and provides funded early education for three-and four-year- olds.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children benefit from a generally safe and healthy environment, although risk assessments and children's personal hygiene routines are not consistently implemented. Policies and procedures are in place and staff have a working knowledge of these to enable them to support and satisfactorily protect children. Children's attendance hours are not recorded. Overall, children access a satisfactory range of activities to suitably meet their needs though these do not effectively challenge or support their learning and development. Planning currently does not include differentiation and next steps are not recorded or used to plan for individual children, including those with additional needs. The management demonstrate a satisfactory capacity to maintain continuous improvement, understanding the need to evaluate the provision, although, they do not incorporate the views of parents in their self-evaluation.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance. (Documentation) 16/12/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 manage hygiene procedures, such as, encouraging children to routinely wash their hands before any food is served, to prevent the spread of infection  improve planning to include all children, including those with additional needs so that activities offer appropriate challenge for children's individual learning and development  improve staff understanding of their roles and responsibilities, with particular regard to implementation of safety  improve systems used to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision, by seeking parents' views and involving them in their children's learning and development

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the early years provision

Staff have a satisfactory understanding of how to safeguard the children and are aware of the policies and procedures for child protection. A risk assessment is in place, however, this is not fully implemented by staff. During inspection, a gas fire was used in a classroom, although the risk assessment clearly states that this must not be used when children are present. In this situation the supervision of children is good and therefore minimises the potential risk that children were exposed to. All staff have current Criminal Records Bureau checks in place as part of the appropriate recruitment procedures. Fire drills are carried out and recorded to show if actions are needed so that any emergency evacuation runs smoothly. The register does not show clearly which children stay for lunch and children's exact hours of attendance are not recorded. This is a breach of a specific legal requirement.

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the early years provision

Resources are stored to allow children to suitably select these themselves. Equality and diversity is not appropriately promoted. Activities are not tailored to effectively meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children learning English as an additional language are not fully supported. Not all key workers are fully aware of the languages their key children speak, although a list is available in the office, and, as result, some children are not fully supported in their learning. Children are taught about different festivals and celebrations so that they satisfactorily learn about the wider world. For example, they learn songs to perform in their Christmas play, enthusiastically carrying out the actions.

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the early years provision

Staff meet twice a year with parents to discuss the progress their children are making in their learning and development. Regular newsletters are emailed to families and these are displayed as reminders of what is happening in the pre This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 school and of any changes. Partnerships with other agencies are satisfactorily in place but are not fully effective in helping the staff to fully promote the learning and development needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The management satisfactorily evaluates the provision with the aid of staff. However, parents' views are not included in the self-evaluation. As a result, the process is not strongly responsive to all of its users. Staff suitably address their professional development by attending training accessed through the local early years team and two staff have just completed degrees. Staff have suitably

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the early years provision

addressed recommendations that were set at previously inspections. They have satisfactory ability to improve outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled, activities keep them occupied and help them to satisfactorily progress in their development. The activities offer a balance of adult- led and child-initiated play and cover the six areas of learning satisfactorily. Planning is currently not fully effective as it does not provide information relating to learning intentions. Therefore staff are not always clear about how to support and challenge all children, including those with special educational needs and /or disabilities, as they engage in the planned activities. Written observations are not consistently recorded to show the actual progress children are making in their learning and development. Consequently, the observations do not give a true picture of the children's progress and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain a satisfactory understanding about a healthy lifestyle. They are cared for in a clean environment, although their hygiene is not consistently managed. As a result, they are not fully protected against cross infection. For example, after some had been playing outside, none of the children washed their hands before their morning snack. They were reminded in the afternoon to wash their hands and spoons were provided for them to use to serve their fruit. Children practise their life skills by preparing the fruit and enhance their independence by pouring their own drinks and clearing their snack plates and cups. They enjoy fresh air and exercise as they play in the enclosed outside space. The six areas of learning are reflected inside and out, which allows the children to continue their learning experiences outside.

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and outcomes for children

All staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management. Given the children's ages and stages of development, they are suitably behaved. They move safely around the pre-school and staff talk to them about the importance of walking and not pushing each other or running. Children confidently leave their parents and carers when they arrive and settle. The pre school operates a key worker system and children are grouped according to their age and stage of development for part of the session. Children gain self esteem and confidence as staff regularly praise them for their work, including their practise of life skills. Such activities help to develop children's skills for the future. Children practise pouring liquids through funnels from one utensil to another. However, staff fail to further encourage children's problem solving skills, as they turn the funnels around so This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

these are placed correctly in the bottles This prevents children from discovering how things work for themselves. Children enjoy learning about numbers. For example, during a fishing game, they read out the numbers on fish they have 'caught' using magnetic, fishing rods. 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 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 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 3

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Stage

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

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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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