Les Petites Etoiles Bilingual Montessori – Paddington

Les Trois Oursons Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY431842 Inspection date 25/06/2012 Inspector Christine Bonnett

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Setting address 170 Gloucester Terrace, LONDON, W2 6HS

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Telephone number 07930378563 Email philippe@marsmontssori.com 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

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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

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

Les Trois Oursons is one of three nurseries forming the Language Fantastic Group run by Mars Montessori Schools Limited. It is a bi-lingual nursery that delivers the Early Years Foundation Stage in English and French. It opened in 2012 and operates from a purpose built nursery on the lower ground floor of a residential block of flats in Paddington, in the City of Westminster. It is accessed via a flight of external stairs. A maximum of 54 children may attend the nursery at any one time. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 48 weeks of the year. There is no access to an outdoor area but children are regularly taken to local parks. There are currently 24 children aged from one year to under five years on roll, some in part- time places. The setting is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. It employs six staff, of whom four hold appropriate early years

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Description of the setting

qualifications, with one member of staff working towards a qualification. The nursery follows aspects of the Montessori teaching method.

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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 happy, settled and enjoy their time at this inclusive nursery. They make good progress towards the early learning goals through a varied and interesting range of activities which cover most areas of learning well. Effective partnerships with parents and carers are well established and contribute significantly towards the well-being of the children. The manager and her staff team proactively reflect upon and evaluate their practice. Together they have strong aspirations for developing the quality of the nursery in order to drive and maintain continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 create an environment that is rich in print where children can learn that print carries meaning  enable children to have routine access to a range of information and communication technology including cameras, telephones, computers and programmable toys.  provide opportunities indoors for children to develop curiosity and interest in observing living things and how to care for them. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding matters which is underpinned by comprehensive policies and procedures. Robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures also contribute towards safeguarding the well- being of the children. Staff are extremely vigilant about children's safety, particularly during their routine walks to local parks each day. The comprehensive risk assessment of the nursery indentifies all obvious hazards and the measures taken to protect children from harm. Children develop good understanding about how to keep themselves safe because they learn how to cross roads safely and join in on routine evacuation drills. All the records and documents required for the efficient management of the nursery and to meet the needs of the children are in place.

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the early years provision

The manager is fully committed towards the on-going development of the nursery. She communicates her ideas and ambition effectively to her motivated staff team. Together, they reflect on their practice and devise action plans to drive improvement. The nursery actively seeks and welcomes parents input into this process via their 'New ideas' initiative. The scheme rewards innovative ideas to improve the premises or practice for the benefit of the children. The management team also place strong emphasis on the on-going professional development of all staff by enabling them to attend further training.

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the early years provision

Staff develop highly effective partnerships with parents. This means that they know each child well and are able to provide consistent and appropriate care. Parents receive good information about the nursery and how both the English and French languages are promoted in practice. Parents are able to discuss their child's welfare and progress with staff at any time. They are also invited to add comments in their child's weekly record book. The book informs parents about how their child spends their time at nursery, and can also be used to support their child's learning at home. On the day of inspection, parents made very positive comments about the nursery. These included how quickly their child had progressed in their learning and how they make each child feel special. The manager is currently establishing links with other early years settings some children attend in order to further promote their learning and development. There are currently no children on roll

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the early years provision

who need support from other agencies. However, the manager is aware of the need to work in partnership with all other parties if the need arises.

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the early years provision

The nursery provides an inclusive setting for children. Staff actively promote equality and diversity. Children's individual needs are taken into account in all aspects of the provision, including the planning of meals and activities. As well as learning about French culture, children also learn to value and respect diversity in the wider world through the play resources and activities proved for them to enjoy. The nursery has a wide range of good quality play materials. Children's independence is promoted because they are able to choose what they would like to play with and can access items easily. All areas of the nursery are very clean. The room used by the youngest children is a designated 'no shoe' area. This means that babies are able to lay and crawl on the floor with no obvious risk to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 their health. Staff are deployed around the premises to monitor the children's

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the early years provision

safety and to support their learning effectively.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their play and make good progress in their learning and development. Staff have secure knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They observe the children playing and assess their stage of development in each learning area. They use this information, and each child's particular interests, to plan the next step in their unique learning journey. Each child has an observation book and collection of photographs and art work which clearly shows the progress they make.

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and outcomes for children

Children generally develop skills for the future well. Communication and language are well promoted in English and French. Older children spend half a day in the 'English room' where they hear only English spoken, and half a day in the 'French room' where staff speak fluent French only. This system helps children develop vocabulary in both languages simultaneously and consistently. However, the rooms lack labels and examples of print on the walls to support children's developing interest in words in the environment. Numeracy and problem solving are fostered because the children count routinely throughout the day and enjoy making puzzles. Children's ability to develop the skills needed to operate information and communication technology is less well supported. The laptops and programmable toys are not routinely available for them to access throughout the day. As part of a planned theme, parents provide photographs of themselves with their child and

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and outcomes for children

extended family. These are used to help the child to settle and to enhance their self-esteem and belonging. Children's visits to the local park enable them to learn about the environment and nature. However, they lack opportunity to develop their curiosity and interest in living things indoors. Children enjoy creative activities. The art work on the walls shows that children have the opportunity to express their own ideas in their creations. They also have fun making up games in the home corner.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is well promoted. The nursery provides a wide range of appetising and highly nutritious meals that are freshly prepared and cooked on the premises. The menus are planned to ensure that children receive an appropriate balance of nutrients each day as well as taking account of any individual dietary needs. The French influence on the menus includes an assortment of different cheeses with plenty of fresh fruit. Children learn the importance of adopting good personal hygiene practices, such as washing their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. Although the nursery does not have an outdoor play area, children have daily opportunities to benefit from physical exercise in the open air. They usually visit one of two nearby parks where they have fun engaging in a range of activities, such as using the climbing frames and slide, playing bat and ball games or generally running around.

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and outcomes for children

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The atmosphere in the nursery is calm and children's behaviour is very good. Children are relaxed and happy. They play contentedly by themselves or co- operatively with others. The structured routine helps them develop a sense of security because they know what is expected of them. Staff treat all children with warmth and kindness and children demonstrate that they feel safe with the staff because they welcome the positive interaction they receive. 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 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 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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