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 01/04/2014 07/11/2013

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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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children have exemplary opportunities to be independent active learners as they have very open choices about activities, and have excellent self-care skills.  Staff have a strong understanding of how children learn and are skilled at facilitating children's play to bring out all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Staff build close partnerships with parents who are kept well-informed of their child's progress and volunteer to take part in activities. This builds a strong community.  Children's behaviour is excellent. Children have mature social skills and behave in safe ways. They cooperate with each other and show empathy and understanding.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The evaluation methods used do not include a systematic overview to set strong targets based on a robust analysis of the provision.

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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 children at play indoors and outside.  The inspector gathered the views of parents.  The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation.  The inspector sampled documentation including policies and children's records.

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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. The nursery employs six members of staff. Five staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, including the manager who holds an early years degree. 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:

 enhance the provision by carrying out a robust analysis and evaluation of the nursery to set clear targets to improve children's outcomes further.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how to meet the learning and development requirements. Their depth of knowledge and understanding about how children learn means that they provide a broad and balanced curriculum which covers all areas of learning. Children benefit from a wide range of interesting and challenging activities in which they can be highly independent, active learners. As a result, children make strong progress in their learning, given their starting points and capabilities.

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who attend

Staff have good teaching skills. They have a high regard for children's independence and spend the majority of their time alongside the children facilitating their play and learning. Staff talk with the children all the time using a wide vocabulary, so children gain mature communication and language skills. Staff consolidate children's new vocabulary by choosing stories and songs which relate to recent activities. For example, staff talk about the Easter egg hunt and Mother's Day, and sing related songs about them. Children across the age range enjoy playing together and staff also plan certain activities for specific age groups. This means that the younger children have time to explore and engage with activities at their own pace. For example, there are two separate Easter egg hunts, which give younger children a greater degree of involvement and success. Staff are very skilled at judging when children need support in their learning and when to allow children time to

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who attend

persist on their own. Children frequently select from a wide range of activities arranged in the Montessori style around the room. A child selecting a syringe and water bowl activity is very capable at practising drawing the water up and looking at the numbered gauge on the side. Staff observe her activity and her competence, and only then join her to talk about what she is doing. This supports children's independence and means that children's learning is carefully tailored to their needs. Children enjoy open-ended play with different media and materials such as paint, dough and in craft activities. They become very absorbed in what they are doing and concentrate for lengthy periods. For example, children painting at the easel notice how the colours are blending together with each brush stroke, and identify the new colours they are making. Staff have strong creative skills and help children to make innovative and interesting art projects, such as expanding

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to build skills in literacy. They take part in a wide range of early writing, such as chalking on the walls in the garden, or using paint and tracing sensory letters. Children notice significant letters and words in their play environment when they self-register. Staff carefully introduce activities using letter sounds when they judge that children are ready and interested to learn about them. As a result, children become skilled at blending sounds together and learning early reading skills.

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who attend

Staff work closely with parents as children start in the nursery to gather information about their starting points and interests. Staff organise some activities around themes, such as mini-beasts or dinosaurs, which children find engaging and interesting. Staff make careful observations of children's learning related to the expected levels of development in published guidance, as well as using Montessori tracking methods. This gives staff a strong insight into children's achievements and how to target children's next steps. Staff write summary reviews of children's progress in each area of learning twice a year and meet with parents to discuss children's progress. These reviews form the progress check at age two where relevant. The tracking documents show that children make good progress in their learning, with mature skills in personal and social development and literacy. This means that children have strong skills to support their future learning.

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

Staff have highly effective key person relationships with children. Children are assigned a key person who is a specialist in the age group and can therefore meet the child's individual needs extremely well. All staff show genuine interest and high regard for the children and their families. As a result, children know they are valued and are very confident to separate from their parents and enjoy secure attachments to staff. This means that children are confident to explore and have a very strong sense of belonging. As children grow and move on to new key persons, they can be confident as they already know all the staff, so the transition is almost seamless. Children's very mature skills prepare them for school as they are confident, curious and persistent in learning new things, as well as highly capable of independent learning. Staff create a calm and purposeful learning environment. Activities are thoughtfully arranged around the room on

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

low storage units. This means that children have exemplary levels of choice. Staff present activities to children so they know how things work and how to play with the different, high quality resources. The routine maximises children's opportunities for setting their own challenges by giving them space and time to pursue their own ideas. Staff also provide additional teaching in French which further enriches the curriculum. Children playing outdoors enjoy the whole curriculum outside, and take part in particular gardening projects to grow flowers and vegetables.

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

Children have excellent opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. They eat fruit and other healthy options at snack and mealtimes, sitting in sociable groups with their friends. Children help to pour drinks and serve food to each other. Children show a mature understanding of which foods are good for them and help them to grow. Staff also plan specific health projects, such as how to look after teeth. Children understand that some foods can damage teeth, and how brushing them helps to keep them clean. Children practise excellent hygiene routines as they know to put tissues straight into the bin and wash their hands. They are very independent in their personal hygiene. Staff teach children about how their bodies work and how to manage their personal safety. As a result, children behave exceptionally safely, walking indoors, using simple tools and equipment such as scissors, and following safety routines very closely. For example, when

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

moving together to the outdoor space, they wait patiently until all children have hold of the special walking-line before moving off.

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

Children's behaviour is extremely good. Staff are very clear about their expectations and children have a very strong understanding of fairness and cooperation. They negotiate with each other about what to play, and invite their friends to sit next to them at snack time. Children are very polite, saying 'please' and 'thank you' spontaneously as food is passed round, for example. Children are able to understand that they sometimes have to wait for a treat, and explain to their friends that they must have their chocolate eggs at home as they will shortly be eating at snack time. Children have mature social skills and high levels of self-esteem, showing great pride in their achievements. They are confident to share their ideas and thoughts and are interested in each other's similarities and differences. This helps them to value diversity.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. This inspection took place after the manager notified Ofsted of an incident in the nursery. The inspection found that the manager had followed all the required procedures correctly and children were not at risk. The manager has comprehensive policies and procedures which guide all staff. Staff have training in child protection and are all checked as to their suitability as part of rigorous recruitment procedures. Staff know what to do should they have concerns about the welfare of a child and understand how to persist with concerns where appropriate. Staff are very careful of children's safety and meet the high standards set by the manager. For example, only staff trained in first-aid can administer medication. Staff deployment is well managed so that staff-to-child ratios are met at all times. Staff communicate well to meet children's needs

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provision

by checking with each other if they must leave the room briefly, for nappy changes for example. Documentation is also professionally maintained which underpins children's well- being.

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provision

The manager works alongside staff in all aspects of the nursery, acting as a key person for the older children. This means that she knows the staff's skills and strengths very well and can act as a mentor. The manager carries out regular supervisions with staff to identify training needs and work on professional development skills. She also carries out spot checks on children's folders to make sure that staff are maintaining them correctly. The manager meets with the whole staff team every week to discuss planning and evaluate the day-to-day running of the provision. Staff contribute their ideas and address areas for improvement, such as acting on the recommendations made at the last inspection. Parents also contribute their ideas for activities and play a strong part in the life of the nursery. This demonstrates that the provision is continuously improving which has a positive impact on children. However, the manager does not undertake a regular

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provision

systematic process of evaluation of the provision as a whole, which somewhat limits the targets that she can set for improvement and ensure that children make the very best progress possible.

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provision

Parents receive good quality information every day from the children's key person so they are kept well-informed of the child's day. Parents talk regularly to the key person about their child's development and highly value staff's expertise in teaching. Parents comment on how their children become calm and confident, with increasing social and language skills. Parents support the nursery by sharing their skills and knowledge as part of planned activities. For example, parents share their cultural festivals, their jobs and their gardening skills. Where children have identified additional needs, the manager and key person works closely with other professionals to share support strategies with parents. This helps to provide a consistent experience for children. The manager also has close links with local schools to help children and families make a smooth transition to the next stage of their learning.

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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 956608 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider The Colour Box Montessori Nursery School LTD Date of previous inspection 07/11/2013 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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