Rooftops Montessori Nursery School Ltd

Rooftops Montessori Nursery School Limited 10 Queens Road, RICHMOND, North Yorkshire, DL10 4AE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/05/2013 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 with additional needs are very well supported to make as much progress as possible in their learning because staff work closely with parents and other professionals.  Babies and children show that they feel safe and secure because experienced staff are allocated to caring for them. Transitions between rooms and other settings are well supported so that children continue to feel safe and secure.  Children behave very well. They respond suitably to the rules and routines set out clearly by staff who are positive role models.  Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly about the nursery and the different ways staff support them in helping their children to settle and involve them in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Younger children, in particular, are not given as much opportunity as possible to move freely between indoors and outdoors. This means that opportunities to promote their physical development and energetic play are not always fully enhanced.  Displays and books do not yet include photographs of children's families, friends, pets and favourite people to further promote children's conversations.

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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 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 held discussion with the manager at the beginning of the inspection and throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in nursery rooms and outdoor area and spoke to staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents that were spoken to during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation, checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and looked at some written policies.

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Information about the setting

Rooftops Montessori Nursery School Limited was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a two storey building in the centre of Richmond in North Yorkshire and is managed by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from two rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 48 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8.30am until 5pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 60 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is a member of the Montessori Schools Association and is accredited by the Montessori Education Accreditation Board.

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

 enhance younger children's physical development by providing more opportunities for them to move more freely between the indoor and outdoor environments

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

 extend young children's conversational skills, for example, by sharing photographs of children's families, friends, pets and favourite people.

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who attend

The manager and her staff team are very secure in their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This enables them to provide a wide range of interesting and challenging experiences matched to children's identified learning needs. Staff are all suitably qualified and experienced resulting in them having a good understanding of how children learn and develop. Through comprehensive observation and assessment of children's development, activities are planned to meet their individual needs. Consequently, children are making good progress considering their starting points. The completion of the progress check at age two years ensures younger children's development is tracked and early intervention sought if necessary. Therefore, any gaps in learning are identified and effectively addressed. This ensures that children are well supported to move on to their next steps in learning, including nursery and school when

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who attend

Staff are enthusiastic and committed and work well as a team. They are fully involved in children's play and provide good levels of support. They extend children's communication and language development extremely well. Staff are highly skilled in asking the children open-ended questions to get them to think about what they are doing. Children respond enthusiastically, eager to share their thoughts and ideas. For example, younger children show great interest in the colourful rectangle on the floor caused by the reflection from the window displays. Staff use this opportunity to encourage children to think about and find different shapes and talk about shadows. Pre-school children show great perseverance as they make the maze using different lengths of wood and then eagerly let their friends take turns in negotiating around it. Children learn how to sort items and place them in appropriate containers and confidently handle small items, such as pegs.

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who attend

Children develop good physical skills as they skilfully punch holes into the laminated pieces of fruit and then thread ribbon through them proudly showing adults their finished pieces of work. They carefully roll items down the hill and throw and catch balls and beanbags. Children are motivated and keen to join in with the play activities and resources offered. They eagerly dress up in costumes from countries, such as, Spain and Africa and explore the different 'real items' in the artefacts boxes linked to these countries. Children take part in an interesting range of outings to enhance their learning about the community in which they live. They also have regular visits from the library.

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who attend

Children are becoming increasingly independent when managing their personal needs, such as using the toilet, putting on their own coats and when choosing what they want to do. All children sit happily at mealtimes chatting to each other as they eat. Children communicate well. Older children chat happily as they play and ask staff questions. Well- organised circle times give children the opportunity to share their news and listen to their peers. Staff give younger children lots of smiles and encouragement and repeat the words they say, so children hear them spoken clearly. Babies listen as staff talk about how the oats and pine cones feel. However, displays and books, particularly in the baby room, do not yet include photographs of children's families, friends, pets and favourite people to help to develop their conversational skills further. Where children are recognised as requiring additional support, practitioners work with parents and, where necessary, other

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who attend

professionals, to ensure each child's individual needs are met. For example, they have close links with speech and language professionals enabling them to provide additional support for children in their communication and language.

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who attend

Children love books and enjoy using the cosy areas where they can sit quietly or 'read' to their friends, mirroring staff. Good provision is made to encourage children's writing skills. Children make marks using different media, such as paint, water and sand. Older pre- school children confidently write their own names on their work, roll up their creations and independently access elastic bands to secure their items ready for home. They confidently sound out the letters their names begin with. Children with English as an additional language are appropriately supported. For example, staff know simple words and phrases in children's home language. The nursery is a print rich environment with colourful displays showing what children are learning, alongside this, names, signs and posters are displayed, to support children in recognising simple words.

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who attend

The nursery places a strong emphasis on working in partnership with parents. Parents are encouraged to have pre-visits to the nursery with their children, to help children settle in their room with their key person. Parents complete detailed information sheets, sharing what they know about their child in order to support good initial assessments of where their children are in their learning. Parents also provide comments about their child's abilities and achievements to their child's key person, helping them to get to know the children extremely well. Parents are encouraged to look at their children's learning journals, and parents' open evenings are regular events. Therefore, parents are encouraged to be fully involved in their children's learning and are well informed of their child's individual progress. Parents comment that they are 'thrilled' with the progress their children make in their learning and development.

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

The key person system is successfully embedded within the nursery. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff whose calm and gentle manner fills the environment. Staff take time to get to know the children and their parents well. This helps foster the family feel that is apparent throughout the nursery. Children are very well prepared for the transitions they make to new rooms within the nursery. They make a number of visits with their key person who provides reassurance as they get to know their new surroundings. Information is effectively passed on about children's learning, development and welfare to ensure children continue to experience good levels of continuity in their care. These transitions are discussed thoroughly with parents enabling them to ensure that their children continue to feel safe and secure.

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

Staff effectively nurture the children in their care; they foster children's independence and provide appropriate emotional support. Behaviour of children is good, the clear rules and routines of the nursery are followed consistently and a happy yet calm atmosphere prevails. Staff observe children carefully. They are quick to offer advice when necessary, especially when required to keep them safe. For example, they teach children how to carry scissors and trays appropriately. Children develop a good understanding of personal safety. They practise the evacuation procedures regularly and all children confidently negotiate stairs either to their playroom or outdoors, carefully holding onto the handrails. Respect for others is fostered from an early age, with younger children benefiting from observing the older children's behaviour. Children have a well-developed understanding of right and wrong, and are able to sort out minor disagreements without the need for adult

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

Children of all ages busily involve themselves in self-chosen activities. The encouragement of children's independence in their learning and self-care is a strength of the nursery. The indoor environment is extremely well organised to provide space to move around freely. Resources are displayed on low-level shelving to support children's independence and choice. Parents are asked to make sure that children have suitable outdoor clothing so they can access outdoors, no matter what the weather is like. This supports their physical health and development. However, younger children, particularly in the upstairs room, are unable to spontaneously play outdoors, as the current organisation does not support this. There is, however, ample space for babies to roll and crawl and for toddlers to practise walking indoors and regular planned opportunities are provided for these children to play outside.

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

Children benefit from being able to have a snack when they are ready, this reduces the need to interrupt their work cycles. Children make healthy choices from the range of snack foods provided and know the importance of washing their hands thoroughly before eating 'because they have germs on them'. The staff give clear guidelines for parents on suitable food to provide for packed lunches and children benefit from the positive role models that staff provide when they eat together. As a result, lunch time is a relaxed, enjoyable time where children eat well using appropriate manners.

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

The nursery has good systems in place to help assist children who are due to move to the next stage in their learning. For example, they invite teachers from the local primary schools to visit the nursery. This helps with children's transition into school and provides a valuable opportunity for children to meet their future teachers in an environment where they feel comfortable.

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provision

Children are safeguarded well. Safeguarding policies and procedures are reviewed regularly in line with changes in requirements, including a clear reference to the safe use of mobile phones in the nursery. Staff undertake regular risk assessments for all areas used by the children and this creates an extremely safe environment for them to play in. These are regularly monitored and reviewed, along with daily checks on the indoors and for outings, to further support children's safety. All visitors to the premises have their identification checked and they sign the visitor record book. A good range of policies and procedures are in place and available to parents, enabling them to have an awareness of the setting's responsibilities to support children's safety and well-being. A number of staff have a suitable first aid qualification and plans are in place to have all staff gain this qualification. As a result, children are well supported in the event of minor injuries or

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provision

Recruitment and vetting procedures are thorough and detailed to confirm the suitability of all staff working with the children. All staff participate in a detailed induction, so they are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Regular staff meetings ensure that all those working with children are kept informed of changes, for example, in legislation and also to offer in-house training linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Montessori teaching methods. This supports and enhances staff's personal development and contributes to meeting the ongoing needs of all children. Regular staff supervision sessions and yearly appraisals, enables the manager to identify learning and training needs for each individual staff member. As a result, there is a skilled staff team in place to support children's wide ranging needs.

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provision

The manager and her staff are enthusiastic, motivated and committed to providing a high quality service to children and their families. The manager has a good knowledge and understanding of how to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She closely monitors the educational programmes to ensure a varied range of stimulating activities is provided to capture the children's interests. Self-evaluation takes into account the views of staff, children and their parents. The manager has a strong drive to build upon the nursery's existing good practice and has set out a specific development plan to support children's achievements over time. Consequently, children's welfare and learning is further promoted.

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provision

Staff work well in partnership with parents and carers to ensure children's individual needs are met. Information is continually shared and exchanged about children's care, both verbally and for younger children in written daily diaries. Parents comment positively about the nursery, stating they are 'thrilled with child's progress, did not realise a four year old could learn so much' and that 'staff have children's best interests at heart and work together to settle children, going above and beyond expectations'. Parents also get lots of information, through interesting displays, informative leaflets and brochures. Good partnership working takes place between the nursery and the schools that children transfer to. For example, the nursery shares photographs with the children of the school building and staff so as to help to familiarise them with the setting they are transferring to. Children who attend other nurseries are well supported. For example, the nursery staff

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provision

have regular informal discussions and share targets in writing with the other settings children attend.

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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 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 EY456044 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 890010 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Rooftops Montessori Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01748823667

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Setting details

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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