Kings Castle Montessori Nursery School

Kings Castle Montessori Nursery School Kings Castle Montessori, 31 Saxonbury Road, BOURNEMOUTH, BH6 5NB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/11/2012 02/10/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 A strong management and staff team work successfully together to create a well- organised, secure and challenging environment where children flourish and make good progress in their learning.  The premises are bright, clean and inviting. The layout, decoration and equipment are carefully organised to give children choices and enable them to take responsibility for themselves as they progress through the nursery. Staff create a calm and stimulating atmosphere where parents and children feel welcome.  Management successfully evaluate the quality of the nursery, which provides them with a thorough awareness of their clear strengths and areas for further development. They support the professional development of staff and make clear plans for improving their practice. Consequently, outcomes for children are continually improving.  Children are motivated and independent learners. They have fun and enjoy their time

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This provision is good

at the nursery. This is evident in their smiling faces and the enthusiasm they display.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always plan time for children to be energetic and develop their physical skills indoors as well as outdoors. This means children sometimes find it more difficult to settle to quieter tasks indoors.  Staff gather some information about what children can do when they first attend the nursery. However, this is not always very detailed in order to help staff identify children's capabilities and plan their progression.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in each of the play rooms and outdoors;  The inspector spoke with the owner, manager, staff, some parents and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation including a representative sample of children's records and regulatory documentation;  The inspector discussed visits from the local authority.  A joint observation with the manager was carried out in the pre-school group.

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Information about the setting

Kings Castle Montessori Nursery School is a privately owned nursery which initially opened in 1997. It re-registered following the amalgamation of the nursery and baby unit. It operates in a residential area of Tuckton, near Bournemouth. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It follows the Montessori philosophy of education. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure outdoor play area. There are currently 156 children aged from three months to under eight years on roll. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free nursery education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery employs 26 members of staff. There are 19 staff with level 3 qualifications or above and four staff with

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Information about the setting

level 2 qualifications. There are five staff who are working towards an early years qualification or a further qualification.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 provide more time and space for children to enjoy energetic play daily and plan activities that involve moving in different ways and at different speeds, balancing, rolling and stopping

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 strengthen the arrangements for gathering information from parents about what children can do when they first attend and their varying levels of confidence in different situations.

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who attend

Children flourish in this well-organised nursery and make good progress in all areas of their learning. The caring and enthusiastic team of staff plan a wide range of challenging activities that help children to develop the skills they need to succeed. Children are keen to learn and rapidly gain confidence as they manage tasks for themselves. In the baby room young children become interested in the colourful and tactile resources set out on the low-level shelves. They want to investigate them and easily develop their physical skills as they pull themselves up and choose what they want to play with. They press buttons, open boxes and examine what is inside. Staff successfully encourage babies? emerging language as they echo the sounds they make and model conversations. Children smile and squeal delightedly when playing peek-a-boo. Staff play with children and encourage them to explore, whether this is investigating paint or a treasure basket. Staff

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who attend

support children well as they move through the nursery and expectations increase. Toddlers help to tidy up after their snack and begin to wash their own plates. They gain confidence as they play outside with older children and are introduced to new activities.

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who attend

Staff place a stronger emphasis on introducing Montessori tasks with the older children. They help them concentrate by making playrooms visually calm and orderly. Children quickly learn the routines and place a mat on the table before choosing what they want to play with. They develop their hand-eye coordination and pre-writing skills particularly well as they handle different sized tools, materials and equipment. Staff introduce specific activities when children are ready and show them what they need to do. This may be matching colours, completing puzzles with three-dimensional shapes or putting the number beads in order. Children experiment for themselves and once learning is achieved staff move them forward. Children grow in self-assurance, becoming independent and highly motivated learners.

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who attend

Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with organisations such as portage and speech therapists to develop effective learning plans to encourage children's progression. They employ dedicated staff who focus on supporting individual needs, whether this is to develop physical skills or speaking and language. Staff encourage parents to contribute words in their home language, so that staff can aid children's communication. Sometimes they encourage them to provide words for songs for all children to learn.

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who attend

Children experience a broad range of activities that support their learning in all areas. Staff link activities to themes and children's interests. They introduce them to different themes, celebrations and topical events to help them become aware of the world around them. Children learn about the life cycle of a butterfly, grow vegetables in the garden and paint firework pictures. Some children enjoy looking at a book on their own while others cluster around a member of staff and listen intently as she reads them a story. Staff promote children's communication and language skills effectively as they play and interact with them. They encourage them to think for themselves and offer their own ideas. Staff provide children with the language they need to express themselves. Staff use a consistent system throughout the nursery to plan and assess children's progress. They record clear and measurable observations of what children can do which helps them to

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who attend

identify children's next steps. When children first attend staff gather some useful information from parents. However, this is inconsistent and does not always provide a clear picture of children's capabilities so they can support them as soon as they attend. Parents are kept well informed about how their child is progressing. They are encouraged to support children's ongoing learning and share information about their child's experiences at home.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children display a strong sense of belonging to the nursery. This is evident in the confident manner in which they arrive and interact with staff. Effective settling in routines help children create strong bonds with staff. Babies quickly settle to sleep and when they wake they are soon ready to explore. They feel secure with staff, which is evident in their smiles. All children benefit from the positive relationships they develop with staff.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are consistent throughout the nursery. This helps children become familiar with routines and understand what is expected. Children benefit from clear boundaries as well as frequent praise and encouragement. Consequently, they behave well. Staff help children to cooperate with others, share and take turns. Staff give them clear explanations, which they can understand. They explain that they cannot play in the castle because the steps are slippery and the slide is wet. Staff position themselves to make sure children follow this and stay safe. Staff talk to children about not throwing sand and putting toys away when they have finished with them. They help children learn to use resources carefully and take care of their surroundings.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery is resourced well with a stimulating range of toys and equipment to support children's all round development, indoors and outdoors. Management and staff plan the daily routine so that children can play outdoors for as long as possible each day. Children enjoy the fresh air and being energetic. However, on occasions when they are unable to go outside staff do not organise physical play effectively indoors. Consequently, they are not always encouraging children to be active and use their bodies in different ways, for example through music and movement or an obstacle course.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks at the nursery. A nutritious hot meal is offered at lunch time; alternatively parents have the choice to provide meals themselves. Staff follow parent's wishes and make sure they comply with all health and dietary requirements. Staff encourage children to take responsibility for looking after themselves as they progress through the nursery. Babies learn to feed themselves and older children competently organise their own snack. Children learn good hygiene routines because staff support them consistently. Staff effectively help children prepare for school and manage their tasks independently.

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provision

A strong management team runs the nursery. They have a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are robust arrangements for the recruitment, selection and employment of staff. This ensures staff are suitable to work with children and understand their roles and responsibilities. There is a thorough understanding of child protection issues and the procedures to follow if there are concerns about a child. Management promote children's health and safety through the implementation of effective procedures. Risk assessments are reviewed after any accidents and additional safety measures are implemented to further promote children's safety. Generally, the management team successfully recognises where improvements can be made and make changes to improve their practice. They also respond positively to feedback from the local authority and others, and seek the view of

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provision

parents as part of their self-evaluation.

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provision

Parents receive a good range of information about the nursery and the care their child receives. They receive regular newsletters, have meetings with their child's key person and can view their child's records at any time. Parents value the positive relationships they have with staff. They comment on how satisfied they are with the care their children receive and the progress they are making. Management and staff work closely with other agencies and settings children attend. This ensures children receive continuity in their care and learning. It also helps staff meet children's individual needs more effectively.

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provision

Management have high expectations for the nursery and the children who attend. They encourage the professional development of staff through annual appraisals and ongoing training. They organise regular staff meetings to discuss practice issues and observe each other to assess their practice. They effectively use a variety of methods of self-evaluation to help identify areas for further development. They target areas for improvement and implement plans to address. For example, they have almost completed a redecoration and updating of the premises and are planning to do more with the garden. The manager monitors children's learning and development to ensure children are making good progress. She is currently reviewing information in children's written records so that it is more clearly linked with the areas of learning. There is a clear capacity and commitment within the nursery to continually improve. Staff and management are extremely

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provision

enthusiastic and keen to maintain good quality care.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY380634 Local authority Bournemouth Inspection number 822928 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 68 Number of children on roll 156 Name of provider Saxonbury Road Ltd Date of previous inspection 02/10/2008 Telephone number 01202 422235

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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