Playhouse Montessori

Playhouse Montessori 1a Dunbar Avenue, London, SW16 4SB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/04/2013 22/02/2011

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is good

 There is a very warm, friendly atmosphere, characterised by busy, well occupied children who enjoy their time in this welcoming nursery.  Staff are highly skilled in using open-ended questions to make the children think abut what they are doing. As a result, children are progressing significantly with their vocabulary from their starting points.  Staff support children extremely well in becoming active learners. As a result, children follow their own interests and are purposefully engaged in their play.  Management and staff work well in partnership with parents and other agencies to meet children's individual needs.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 younger children are not always able to make independent choices about what they want to play with because it is not made clear to them which toys and resources are available.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play and staff interaction, indoors and out.  The inspector sampled the children's learning journeys and planning documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 Safeguarding was discussed with management and a number of policies were sampled.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and information provided by parents in their response to questionnaires.

p.2

Information about the setting

Playhouse Montessori opened in 2006 and is privately owned. It operates from a detached house in Norbury, situated in the London Borough of Croydon. Children have the use of three play rooms on the ground floor and a further two rooms on the first floor. There is an enclosed area for outside play both at the front and at the back of the setting. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 52 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and there are currently 38 children on roll. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language. A team of 10 staff work with the children. Of these, two hold relevant early years degrees, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications and two are working towards a level three in childcare. The setting partly incorporates the Montessori educational philosophy and provides funded early

p.3

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

 review the organisation of toys and resources to create an environment rich in pictures and print, so young children can view, select and return toys to support their growing independence.

p.3

who attend

Children make excellent progress in their learning and development. This is because the staff team is experienced, enthusiastic and very child-focused. They have an excellent understanding of the areas of learning and plan a very good range of activities that excite and challenge children's interests and abilities. The planning of the educational programme is individual for each child, taking into account their interests and stages of development. A very good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities ensure that children are the prime instigators in their own learning. Staff use the publication 'Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' in their practice to assess children's progress and to highlight the next steps in their development. Good systems are in place to carry out the progress check for two-year-olds. Staff use informative observations to track the children's progress against development milestones. Parents are

p.3

who attend

actively involved in this process and add their own comments. As a result, all children make very good progress in relation to their starting points and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning or moving forward to school. Staff are fully involved in children's play and provide excellent 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. Staff are respectful to children, showing an exceptional interest in all that they say. For example, when children show an in-depth interest in travel cards, staff seize this opportunity to discuss forms of transport, value of money and how to keep safe on outings. This enhances children's critical thinking and develops language skills

p.3

who attend

exceptionally well. Staff then imaginatively arrange the role play areas to give children further opportunities to explore a variety of different play scenarios such as a bus and train. This effectively extends children's learning as staff ensure that activities are interesting and highly individual to meet children's specific learning needs.

p.4

who attend

Staff give high priority to giving young children many opportunities to learn through exploring different materials and textures. This effectively supports them in making sense of their world as they learn through their senses. There are very good opportunities for children to develop a love of books. Staff are extremely animated while reading to children. Children show excellent levels of concentration as they explore the story line. Staff introduce words such as 'swirling' and 'twirled' to extend children's vocabulary. In addition, a very good range of story sacks which include picture books and prompts are sent home so children can share nursery experiences with parents at home and involve parents fully in their children's learning. Staff consistently build on children's individual interests, such as recycling, providing them with innovative activities to explore the process of recycling. Children learn how to sort items and place them in appropriate

p.4

who attend

containers. This learning is extended at home as children fetch items to recycle at nursery. Consequently, children are provided with excellent opportunities in learning how to care for their environment.

p.4

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

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the warm and caring atmosphere of the nursery. Children arrive happily because they enjoy secure, trusting relationships with staff who treat them with care and affection. Staff have good expectations of children and are aware of their capabilities. Key persons have an excellent knowledge of children's starting points in learning, their individual care needs and parents' preferences. As a result, children make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Staff's positive behaviour management strategies means children are acknowledged and praised for their efforts and respected as individuals. For example, staff offer praise to acknowledge their contribution and, as a result, children acquire a positive attitude to learning. This creates a harmonious learning environment. Samples of children's creative work are displayed on the walls, creating a bright environment and

p.4

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

instilling a sense of pride into each child.

p.4

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

The nursery environment is welcoming and well resourced. Children's play and learning in the pre-school room is well supported through the abundance of words and pictures. However, there are fewer opportunities for younger children to identify the location of toys and resources. As a result, young children are not always able to make independent choices in what they want to play with. Staff demonstrate a positive approach towards inclusion. They show a comprehensive understanding of each child's unique needs. A variety of resources and displays around the nursery depict positive images of diversity, including those of culture, gender and disability.

p.4

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

Children thoroughly enjoy valuable social experiences during meal times. Children help set out cups and bowls and talk about the fruit and plain biscuits available at snack times. They serve themselves, showing politeness and good manners as they pass fruit to others. This enhances the children's independence skills as well as their self-help skills. The staff have a good understanding of appropriate hygiene routines, which includes effective measures for nappy changing procedures. This promotes the health and wellbeing of the children.

p.5

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

The outdoor area is well resourced. Young children thoroughly enjoy taking part in gardening activities, digging the soil, growing herbs, plants and vegetables and then harvesting all that they have grown. In addition, topics include sampling a wide variety of foods from around the world. Children recall liking the sweet dumpling a parent brought into the nursery. Excellent attention is given to promoting children's physical development. Children enjoy an extremely wide variety of resources. Young children enjoy developing skills in catching and throwing. They explore balls of different sizes, textures and weights. In addition, soft play sessions give younger children excellent opportunities to develop their mobility as they roll and tumble over soft mats with close supervision from staff to ensure their safety.

p.5

provision

The nursery leadership has robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures to check staff are suitable to work with children. Management and the staff team have a good understanding of their duty to protect children's welfare. All staff have attended training and know precisely what steps to take should they have any concerns about children in their care.

p.5

provision

Comprehensive risk assessments cover all aspects of the premises and any outings from the nursery. Access to the nursery is closely monitored. Management and staff are vigilant about arrival and collection procedures and good security precautions contribute towards children's safety. For example, when older children play in the front garden, the first entrance to the nursery is locked to ensure children's safety. This ensures children play in a safe and secure environment. Staff fully record accidents and incidents and relay this information to parents. Staff implement good hygiene procedures, including those for nappy changing.

p.5

provision

Leaders and managers have strong expectations of staff in developing their knowledge and skills. The manager carries out regular supervision to make sure the staff practice is strong and consistent, and to highlight any training needs. The self-evaluation clearly links to the nursery's development plan on how to work towards targets set and the time limit to complete them. Parents share their views on the nursery. Any concerns from parents are taken seriously and their views are fully respected and used to inform future practice.

p.5

provision

The staff have developed positive relationships with parents. Parents access the children's learning journals at any time and discuss with the staff the progress their children are making. Parents regularly share with the staff what they have been doing at home. Staff use this information successfully to further enhance the activities and resources they provide. Parents comment that they are extremely happy with their children's progress, enjoying participating in different events organised by the nursery. Parents spoken to at inspection were very pleased and complimentary about every aspect of nursery provision, including how they maintain confidentiality. All children's needs are quickly identified and well met because the nursery has highly effective partnerships with external agencies and other providers.

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY339849 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 912614 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Mrs Nasreen Hudda and Mr Mahmood Hudda Partnership Date of previous inspection 22/02/2011 Telephone number 0208 7642564

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

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

p.10