The Colour Box Montessori Nursery LTD

The Colour Box Montessori Nursery LTD Earlsfield Baptist Church, Magdalen Road, LONDON, SW18 3NZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2013 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff manage children's behaviour extremely well. Children are very clear about what is expected of them and show considerable care and respect towards each other.  Children make good progress because staff plan suitably challenging and interesting activities based on children's individual needs and interests.  Children are very confident and settled because they have strong relationships with staff.  Staff keep children safe. They have good knowledge of procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child's welfare.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although the nursery has a range of technology resources, these are not always easily available to children to enable them to understand more about the world around them.

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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 carried out a joint observation with the manager of an adult-led group activity.  The inspector observed interaction between staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation and held a discussion with the manager.  The inspector tracked the progress of several children.  The inspector spoke to staff, parents and children and took their views into account.

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Information about the setting

The Colour Box Montessori Nursery School Ltd opened in 2002 and re-registered in 2013. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and operates from a church hall in Earlsfield, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The nursery is open Monday from 9am to 3pm and then Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 12 noon term time only. The nursery has an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of staff. Four staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, including the manager who holds an early years degree. One staff member holds a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 4, one staff member holds a qualification at level 3, one staff member holds a qualification at level 2, and one staff member is unqualified. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery follows Montessori teaching methods.

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

 extend opportunities for children to use technology resources to further support their learning and development.

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who attend

Children are independent learners and make good progress in this well-organised nursery. Children have good opportunities to learn through making their own choices from structured resources that provide varying levels of challenge. Staff meet the needs of children well because they devise plans for each child, which cover all areas of learning effectively. For example, staff observe that children are interested in brushing and styling hair, so they set up a make-believe hair salon to support children's imaginative play. Children develop an understanding of the role of a hairdresser, with staff supporting children's language skills by introducing new relevant vocabulary as they play. Children's language skills are also enriched by visits from specialist teachers, such as French language teachers.

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who attend

Children practise their drawing and early writing skills by using coloured chalk and paper. They recognise their names on cards when they arrive at the nursery each day and some children can identify letter names and their associated sounds. This supports children's early reading skills effectively. Staff capture children's interest by reading stories in lively tones and asking children effective questions to challenge their thinking. Staff extend children's ability to count and recognise numbers well, to support their mathematical development. For instance, children play a game where they count out the correct number of pretend sausages to match a numeral. Staff encourage children to count with confidence and observe how numbers are formed on textured number cards. Staff help children to grade and sort items, such as Russian interlocking dolls, which helps them understands mathematical concepts relating to size.

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who attend

Although the nursery has a range of programmable toys, torches and other electronic resources to support children's understanding of technology, these are not always freely accessible to children. Consequently, this has an impact on how children investigate and learn about the world around them. Children interact with a nature display by looking and discussing tree stumps while staff support their learning by explaining how the rings on the stump indicate the age of the tree.

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who attend

Children develop strong small muscle control as they move beads along narrow grooves. They experiment with different types of clothes fasteners, such as buttons and zips, which supports their independent dressing skills and physical coordination. Children express themselves creatively by making pictures from shiny, coloured, and other types of paper. They explore the colours and textures of paint to make their own pictures and staff teach children new describing words as they talk about their designs. In general, these activities help children to develop valuable skills for when they move to school. Children develop good physical skills in the well-arranged outdoor area. They practise climbing across frames and balance well along planks. They crawl skilfully through tunnels and jump steadily into hoops. Staff provide daily indoor gym sessions where children are suitably physically challenged using obstacle courses and small and large equipment. Staff support

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who attend

children's learning in different areas in the outdoor environment. For instance, children practise their number recognition skills by identifying numbers marked on the ground and develop their design skills by playing with construction sets.

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who attend

Staff maintain comprehensive records on children's assessment, which they use to inform planning well. Staff carry out regular observations, which they evaluate along with other evidence of children's abilities. They use this information to keep up to date with children's progress in order to provide suitably challenging activities. Staff carry out the required progress checks for children aged between two and three years and provide written summaries to parents to keep them informed about their child's development. Parents are able to purposefully contribute to their children's learning. For instance, musician parents come into the nursery to perform concerts for the children. Parents share observations with staff about what their children do at home, which the staff then use to inform future plans for children's learning and development. Staff keep parents up to date about their children's progress through daily interaction and regular parents' meetings.

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

Children are exceptionally confident, very secure and highly independent learners. Staff have very good knowledge of children's skills and personalities because they collect detailed information from parents when children first arrive at the nursery. Staff use this information to provide activities that reflect children's interests and skills, which results in children feeling happy and being challenged exceptionally well. Relationships are strong between staff and children, which supports children's happiness and security. Staff provide highly appropriate daily routines which the children know well, supporting their feelings of security.

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

The nursery is bright, colourful and very welcoming. It is very well resourced in all areas of learning. Children's artwork is beautifully presented on wall displays which helps every child feel a very strong sense of belonging. Children have excellent awareness of safety. For instance, when they have finished an activity they tuck chairs under tables to prevent accidents. Children routinely put away resources once they have finished using them, without needing adult reminders, which reflects their ease following routines and expectations. Children have excellent personal care skills. They use the bathroom independently to wash their hands at appropriate times and show excellent understanding of why they need to wash their hands to keep clean and healthy.

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

Children have very strong independence skills. They help to prepare fresh fruit snacks, lay the table and serve themselves and pour their own drinks. Children understand the importance of eating healthily because staff consistently teach children about the health benefits of eating well. Children have excellent physical skills because they are challenged effectively during daily gym sessions, where they learn to move their bodies in different ways and gain control over their movements. Children delight in using the outdoor environment where they benefit from daily fresh air, as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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

Staff manage children's behaviour exceptionally well. Staff are very calm and make their expectations for behaviour very clear to the children to support their personal and social skills. Staff support children's understanding of acceptable ways to behave by showing pictures of positive behaviour which they talk to children about. Children show considerable care and respect towards each other saying 'please' and 'thank you' at appropriate times. Children have exceptional understanding of difference because staff teach them about different countries and traditions. Staff invite parents from different cultural backgrounds into the nursery to discuss special cultural or religious events and make craft items with children. This provides excellent support to children's developing understanding of diversity.

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

Staff have excellent links with local school teachers who come into the nursery to get to know children who will be moving to school. This provides very good support for children, helping them prepare well for the transition to school.

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provision

Staff protect children well. All staff have received safeguarding training and have good knowledge of the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child in their care, to protect children's welfare. Staff carry out risk assessments covering all aspects of the nursery, including outings, which helps them to keep children safe. The management ensures that all staff are thoroughly vetted as part of their assessment of suitability for their roles and this serves to protect children further.

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provision

The nursery implements good performance management systems, including appraisals, to help staff identify and meet their training needs. For instance, staff attended a course on developing maths in the early years, which led to them using different approaches to support children's mathematical learning. The management supervises staff regularly in order to identify any areas of concern and offer support as appropriate to improve the quality of the provision. The manager works in the group room with the staff, which enables her to monitor the quality of staff practice. The management reviews all staff plans and children's assessment records regularly, which helps to ensure consistent quality. The nursery uses good tracking systems to monitor children's progress and identify any gaps in learning so that appropriate steps are taken to support each child's specific needs.

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provision

There are strong links with parents who contribute well to their children's care and learning and are kept informed of their children's progress. There is an active parents' committee that represents the views of parents, which provides good opportunities for parents to be involved in the nursery. The nursery has good links with local school teachers to support children as they move to school.

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provision

The management works closely with the local authority to analyse nursery practice and devise action plans to improve the quality and outcomes for children. The staff team has successfully met its current targets for improvements. For example, they now organise separate story and discussion times for younger and older children so that their needs are better met. Management has clear plans for the future, including the employment of an additional highly qualified member of staff to enhance practice further. The nursery operates well and has good ability to maintain continuous improvement.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY463029 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 919393 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider The Colour Box Montessori Nursery School LTD Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 02088704641

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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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