Walthamstow Montessori School

Walthamstow Montessori School Penrhyn Hall, Penrhyn Avenue, Walthamstow, London, E17 5DA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/03/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Children enjoy a good range of quality experiences indoors and outside, planned by staff. Consequently, they make good progress in all aspects of their learning.  Children are developing good independence and life skills in which they manage practical tasks and self-care skills themselves in preparation for future learning.  There are warm and caring relationships between children and all staff. Children's behaviour is good and they are well settled and secure.  Staff value working in partnership with parents. Parents appreciate the personal approach they and their children receive, so children's needs are met well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to extend the range of multicultural resources, particularly in the role play area, that reflect a range of cultures and backgrounds to promote children's understanding of the world further.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments; this included a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector held discussions with the provider, staff and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's learning journals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, policies and procedures and other documentation in relation to health and safety checks.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and in completed questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Walthamstow Montessori School registered in 2001. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery operates in line with the Montessori philosophy of education. It is part of the independent Walthamstow Montessori School. It operates from a large hall and two smaller rooms. The nursery serves the local area. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs three members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 12.30pm during term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 17children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 extend the programme for understanding the world by reflecting children's family lives and communities, such as through providing a wider range of resources in the role play area, and include resources reflecting lives that are unfamiliar, to broaden children's knowledge and reflect an inclusive ethos.

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who attend

Children flourish in this warm and welcoming nursery and make good progress in all areas of their learning. Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. They know the children very well and talk in detail about their strengths and areas for further development. Staff record children's development in 'learning journeys' and observation books. They make effective use of these to plan and provide relevant experiences to meet the individual learning and development needs of all children. Staff gather detailed information from parents about their child when they first attend. This provides a clear picture of children's capabilities so they can support them as soon as they attend. Staff have daily discussions with parents to provide them with informative feedback about their children's daily activities, learning and progress. They encourage parents to share their comments about their child's learning at home and to

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who attend

contribute comments to their child's learning journal. This approach is successful in engaging parents in their children's early education. Staff promote children's communication and language skills successfully through the varied range of activities offered. For example, children enjoy sharing their favourite storybooks with staff and their friends, which helps to promote their early enjoyment of books, a useful attribute for when moving on to school. Staff engage actively in conversations with the children about the pictures they see, and give them time to initiate discussions from shared experiences, such as talking about mountains.

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who attend

Children play outside on a regular basis and the outdoor area promotes children's developing physical skills. They gain confidence as they play here with older children who introduce them to new activities. Children choose from a range of physical play equipment, including wheeled toys, balls and hoops. There are plenty of places for them to run around, hide and explore. Here, staff help children to safely take risks and explore through play with learning extended through playful teaching.

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who attend

The indoor environment is effectively organised, allowing children to access a developmentally appropriate range of toys and resources covering all areas of learning well overall. However, there are fewer multicultural resources in the role play area to fully reflect diversity to help children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others. Good use of Montessori materials means that children show perseverance and concentrate well when developing practical, real life and mathematical skills.

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who attend

Supported by attentive staff, children begin to reliably count and adeptly recognise some numerals during play. They confidently explore and show interest in the colourful and tactile resources set out on the low-level shelves. Staff present practical activities enticingly on small trays that children can easily reach for themselves. For example, they develop good hand-eye coordination as they move beans from one container to another with a spoon and develop a strong grip to begin writing. Children grow in self-assurance, becoming independent and highly motivated learners. Consequently, children are gaining skills that prepare them well for school.

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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. Caring staff warmly welcome the children and their families. Effective settling in routines help children create strong bonds with staff. As a result, all children form close bonds and secure emotional attachments to staff, confidently seeking them out for reassurance when needed. These good relationships also help to prepare children for future transfers, for example, to school.

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

Children concentrate and persevere on their freely chosen activities as well as those led by adults. They respond well to the clear boundaries set for them. Children learn about the needs and feelings of others through sharing, taking turns and helping others. They demonstrate they can negotiate and solve problems, for example, as they confidently inform staff if another child has upset them. They are learning to understand that their actions can hurt other children's feelings. Their behaviour is good, as staff share consistent expectations and are good role models themselves. Children willingly take on responsibility, for example, tidying resources or competently sweeping up spilled glitter in preparation for snack time.

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

Staff support children's good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They provide nutritious snacks, which include fruit and vegetables. Children develop good independence skills as they are receive time and encouragement to serve themselves and pour their own drinks. Staff discuss the importance of hand washing with children in order to protect them from harmful germs. As a result, children develop independence in hygiene and managing their personal care. Children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise during outdoor play. The daily routines include useful safety reminders to raise children's understanding, such as learning to take care with the sand or when using simple tools. Regular fire evacuations enable staff and children to know what to do in an emergency. As a result, children enjoy their experiences in the nursery and learn good skills that support their future learning.

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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 checks that staff are cleared as 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. Staff review risk assessments after any accidents and additional safety measures are implemented to further promote children's safety.

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provision

Parents receive a good range of information about the nursery and the care their child receives. They receive regular, informative newsletters and email updates. They have meetings with their child's key person to exchange information 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. They praise the 'Home from home environment' and 'The warm, community feel'.

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provision

Management has high expectations for the nursery and the children who attend. They encourage the professional development of staff through appraisals and ongoing training. They organise regular staff meetings to discuss practice issues. The provider and her team effectively use a variety of methods of self-evaluation to help identify areas for further development. For example, they are planning to introduce Forest School sessions to further promote children's learning and broaden experiences. They also respond positively to feedback from the local authority. They seek the views of parents and children as part of their self-evaluation.

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provision

The provider monitors children's learning and development to ensure children are making good progress. Systems are in place to seek outside professional help for any children who may need it. The manager is currently reviewing information in children's written records so that it is more clearly linked with the areas of learning, in order to better check for any gaps. There is a clear capacity and commitment within the nursery to continually improve. Staff and management are extremely 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 The requirements for the voluntary 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 action. 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 405124 Local authority Waltham Forest Inspection number 813150

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 8 Number of children on roll 17 Name of provider Lorna Mahoney Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0208 523 2968

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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