Clacton Montessori Day Nursery & Preschool

Pebbles Private Kindergarten Ltd 22 Thoroughgood Road, CLACTON-ON-SEA, Essex, CO15 6DD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/08/2013 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 make good choices in their learning as practitioners recognise the importance of children guiding their own play. They facilitate their ideas and provide them with a wide range of materials to extend their thinking.  Practitioners enhance children's knowledge by talking clearly to them, asking them open-ended questions and allowing them a good amount of time to consider their responses.  The nursery implements effective settling-in procedures. Consequently, children are settled, content and comfortable within the nursery environment.  Practitioner's skills are effectively updated through professional monitoring and regular supervision and appraisals. The management team and team of practitioners are motivated, keen and committed to improving the provision for all children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to extend their knowledge across all seven areas of learning are not fully embedded in the outdoor area.  Children are not always provided with opportunities to fully develop their independence skills. For example, they have limited opportunities to participate in the preparation of snack time.

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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 nursery rooms and garden and viewed all areas of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the registered provider, the deputy, the special educational needs coordinator, practitioners, parents and children at appropriate times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of records, including children's personal details, accident and medication records, written policies, attendance registers, proof of the suitability checks and qualifications for practitioners and a range of other relevant documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the time of the visit and through written comments in children's learning journeys.

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Information about the setting

Pebbles Private Kindergarten Ltd nursery was registered as a limited company in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a converted house in the Clacton on Sea area of Essex and is managed by a limited company. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a number of rooms across three storeys of the house and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level two, level three, level four and degree level, including the registered provider with Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 36 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 educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 expand the range of resources and experiences in the outdoor area to enable children to develop further, their understanding of the world, extend their knowledge of mathematics and enhance their literacy skills.

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

 extend experiences for children to develop their independence skills at snack time, for example, by making their own sandwiches, cutting fruit and setting the tables.

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who attend

Children actively engage in a wide range of purposeful learning opportunities, which enable them to make good progress. They are keen, busy and active and enjoy exploring the environment indoors and outdoors. Children's learning is enhanced by knowledgeable practitioners, who demonstrate a secure understanding of when to intervene in children's freely chosen play. They understand how to capture children's interests and to sustain it through well-considered questions and explanations.

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who attend

Children's language development and communication skills are extended by practitioners using clear speech and language. Each room has a good selection of books and a comfortable area in which, children can read with adults or look at books with their friends. Children see examples of the written word displayed around the nursery, however, this is not so well-displayed in the outdoor environment. Older children converse proficiently with adults and their peers. They re-tell real and imaginary experiences and enthusiastically engage in imaginative play. For example, containers in the water tray provide good vessels for cups of tea, which children pour and provide for their friends and the practitioners sitting with them. Their conversation is enhanced by the practitioner talking to them about drinks they like, how full the containers are and who would like a drink.

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who attend

The nursery offers an after school and holiday club facility. Children attending these clubs are accommodated in two rooms situated on the top floor of the nursery. This space was re-organised from storage space, following requests from children for their own areas. Children attending this provision, some of whom are within the Early Years Foundation Stage, enjoy a wide range of age-appropriate resources and regularly go on outings and trips in the local area during the school holidays.

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who attend

Practitioners observe children in their key person groups and use their observations to plot their achievements and to identify their next steps in learning. Parents view their children's learning journeys on a regular basis and contribute towards identifying their learning needs. Summative assessments are shared with parents to promote an ongoing mutual understanding of the progress children are making through their nursery experiences. Practitioners meet weekly to plan adult-led activities, to extend and challenge children's thinking. The activities are based on their assessments of children's next steps in learning and are tailored to meet each child's needs. The nursery environment is organised to provide children with a continuous learning environment, whereby children initiate much of their own learning as well as participating in some focussed activities.

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who attend

Children are effectively prepared for their next stage of learning. For example, practitioners encourage them to practice hand-writing skills as they draw around and copy plastic letters. They are beginning to recognise the letters contained in their names and to consider what letters their friend's names begin with. Teachers from local primary school reception classes visit the nursery to meet children, who will be moving up each year. Older children using the after school club and holiday scheme also talk to the younger children about their school experiences.

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

Children are settled, content and comfortable within the nursery environment. The nursery's effective settling-in procedures, alongside a clear 'all about me' booklet completed by parents, provide a secure base for children's early experiences of nursery life. The well-established key person system and buddy key person system enable children to form close and strong relationships with their special person. Children move through the nursery rooms, according to age and ability. Effective transition arrangements ensure children's physical and emotional well-being is promoted very well. For example, children usually move with two or three other children of a similar age. For continuity of care, one of the practitioners working in that base room will move rooms with them. This means that some practitioners are with children for three to four years, enabling them to form extremely secure relationships with children and with their parents.

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

Children behave well and respond to the nursery routines. They are provided with good opportunities to make decisions and choices over their play as the majority of the day is organised around a 'free-flow' play system, whereby children may choose to play indoors or outdoors. Practitioners raise children's self-esteem and confidence by using positive language and encouraging them to be kind and caring towards each other. Preparation for children's school readiness is enhanced by practitioners concentrating on developing children's listening skills and good manners.

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

Children take some calculated risks when they play in the nursery garden and when negotiating the stairs between the nursery building floors. The garden offers good opportunities for children to climb, run, negotiate space, hide and climb ladders in the large wooden ship and in the two story playhouse. They enjoy fresh air and exercise daily, when they play in the nursery garden and when they go for regular walks in the local area. The nursery is situated close to the town centre and the beach, which offer a wide range of opportunities for spontaneous trips and outings. Children enjoy a range of meals and snacks during their nursery day, beginning with breakfast for all of children and practitioners. Children help to contribute towards planning some of the meals and are generally provided with a balanced and healthy menu. However, children have few opportunities to play an active role in the preparation of snack time as sandwiches and

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

chocolate bars are generally pre-prepared for them. This inhibits their opportunities to develop independence, to make choices over their sandwich fillings and to develop essential skills, such as buttering bread and cutting up fruit and vegetables.

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

Younger children's personal needs are effectively met through the nursery's policies and routines. Practitioners follow children's individual home routines and parent's wishes with regards to baby feeds, nappy changing and sleep patterns. Older children learn about the importance of hand washing before they eat meals and when they have been playing in the garden. They understand that washing their hands removes germs and helps to keep them healthy.

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

The nursery environment is generally well-maintained and organised. Some rooms are in the process of being re-decorated. Each room has low-level storage units used for storing toys and play equipment. This enables children to guide their own learning by selecting resources of their choice. The nursery actively promotes the garden as an outside classroom, providing children with a varied range of learning experiences. While these outdoor experiences allow children to explore most areas of learning, they have few opportunities to learn about planting and growing, to explore mathematics outdoors and to see words and print being used in the garden to extend their literacy skills.

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provision

The nursery has an effective management structure in place, comprising of the owner, the manager and the deputy. They have a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The management team support a large number of well-qualified practitioners, who demonstrate a secure understanding of how children learn and how to facilitate their learning. Many of the practitioners and the manager have worked at the setting for a number of years and complement the newer members. This creates a stable workforce, who are committed to further developing their professional knowledge and to continuously improving the provision for children. Effective monitoring of the educational programme, ensures that all children benefit from the range of activities offered to them and ensures they make the best possible progress in relation to their starting points. The manager

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provision

regularly reviews every child's learning journey and gives constructive feedback to the practitioners to support them. Weekly practitioner meetings, enable the whole staff team to review the working practices, discuss any concerns and talk about joint themes or topics. These meetings are then tailored to individual rooms, enabling practitioners to plan activities for the coming week for their individual key children. Individual children requiring additional support are targeted through this system. Discussions with the setting's special educational needs coordinator and supporting documentation shows that appropriate interventions are sought for these children. All children, therefore, make good progress and gaps in their learning close as a direct result of the support they receive from the nursery.

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provision

Children are effectively protected from harm as managers and practitioners demonstrate a secure understanding of their responsibilities with regards to protecting children in their care. They regularly update their safeguarding knowledge through appropriate training courses and in-house workshops. All adults working with or having direct contact with children are appropriately vetted and proof of the checks carried out to assess their suitability are available on file. Daily safety checks ensure that children remain safe and secure within the nursery and on outings.

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provision

Clear procedures enable the management team, practitioners and parents to feed into the nursery's self-evaluation. The manager and owner regularly review all aspects of the nursery to identify its strengths and weaknesses. A clear development plan is displayed on the wall for parents to see, showing how the nursery is addressing areas for improvement. Practitioners are appropriately supported through the nursery's performance management systems. The manager regularly observes practitioners at work and gives them feedback on the quality of their teaching. The owner conducts six monthly supervision meetings with all practitioners, to review their training needs, personal circumstances, performance with children and commitment to further developing the nursery.

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provision

The nursery has a very good relationship with parents and works effectively in partnership with them. The manager holds a very supportive role, often working with the whole family to seek support networks for them. The nursery works well with other agencies and professionals, inviting them in to the nursery to observe children, following their advice and maintaining good methods of communication. Systems to enable the nursery to work closely with other early years provisions, which children attend are in place. Children are well-prepared for their next steps in learning. For example, good transition arrangements are in place to help them move smoothly from their nursery life to 'big school'.

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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 EY461712 Local authority Essex Inspection number 908485 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 140 Name of provider Pebbles Private Kindergarten LTD Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01255433339

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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

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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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