Cannon Barn Montessori School

Cannon Barn Montessori School Cannon Barn, Hereford Gardens, Pinner, HA5 5JR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/05/2014 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

 The key person system works well to support children's learning and development.  The setting has strong partnership with parents and this supports the best outcomes for children.  Children enjoy a wide range of challenging and interesting activities supported by Montessori equipment and EYFS planning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The format of weekly planning does not fully support all staff's awareness of individual children's needs.  Links with external support agencies and professionals are not fully established.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice throughout the setting.  The inspector held discussions with staff.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation.  The inspector held a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with parents.

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Information about the setting

Cannon Barn Montessori registered in 2013. It operates from a purpose-built building in Pinner in the London Borough of Harrow. There is an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, 49 weeks of the year. Children may attend a morning session, afternoon session or a full day. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. Four staff including the manager are employed, three of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications. The manager has a Montessori Diploma at level 4, as well as an Early Years Foundation Degree.

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

 review the format of planning to make it clear why certain activities have been put in place for individual children

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

 strengthen links with other professionals.

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who attend

The nursery offers a welcoming and cosy environment, and children are happy and confident. Experienced and professional staff enable children to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff's secure knowledge of how children learn and develop, combined with a well-resourced learning environment and good systems for observation and assessment, supports children's progress across all areas of learning. The interesting range of activities, enhanced with a good selection of Montessori equipment, ensures that children develop good concentration skills and learn to play in a group, and on their own. The setting's daily routine also provides children with a good range of skills that will support them in their next stage of their learning. Children make good progress from their starting points due to a well-planned programme and they show good skills, in particular in communication and personal development. However, the format of weekly

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who attend

planning does not fully support all staff to readily identify individual children's learning needs in activities. Children bond well with their key persons when they start and these strong relationships, which continue for the whole period they are at the pre-school, ensure that they flourish. Staff share regular information about children's development with parents and this encourages them to support their children's learning at home.

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who attend

The children are learning good mathematical skills as they count wooden cylinders and place them in order of size. They participate enthusiastically in singing together and children are encouraged to learn songs and use musical instruments.

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who attend

Examples of children's work in their learning journals also indicate that they enjoy writing. The oldest children can write their own names and are also confident in writing simple three-letter words. Children are provided with interesting sensory experiences. They play independently with sand and water, and they enjoy rolling out dough and moulding it into shapes. Adults support the children well to talk about what they are doing and extend their language with open-ended questions to ask them about what they are pretending to make. Physical skills are well supported. Children use physical skills and develop coordination by running, dancing and moving to the beat during dance sessions, for example. The children are encouraged to play outside as much as possible, not only in good weather but also in rain, and throughout the winter.

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who attend

Staff listen carefully to what children say and give them plenty of time to respond to questions. Older children are confident talkers and are very happy to share their thoughts and ideas with others, initiating and engaging in many worthwhile conversations. Children learn to value books and enjoy choosing books for adults to read to them in the well- stocked book corner. Children learn about the features of the local environment and they learn to plant and grow flowers; to fully extend their learning about the natural world.

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

The key-person system is a strong feature of the nursery. It provides a focal point for children and parents from the start. Additionally, it reassures parents that staff are interested in their children and that they understand that each child's individual needs are different. Staff have close working relationship with parents. This is reassuring for children and parents and helps to ease children's separation at the start.

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

Children show that they feel safe and secure in the nursery as they laugh happily and engage freely in play with their friends and staff. Staff build children's confidence to explore and experiment through play. This satisfies their natural impulse to learn through first-hand experiences. Staff's careful planning for each child promotes equality well. For example, staff identify the starting point for every child and use the information to develop learning opportunities that are of interest to each child. This enables staff to provide children with appropriate challenges to progress their learning at a good rate. Children are learning to have high expectations of their abilities and to develop a 'can do' attitude. This helps children to develop and sustain positive attitudes towards learning now and in readiness for school.

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

Staff are mindful of children's cultural backgrounds and are sensitive to meeting their personal needs. Staff ensure that all children can see themselves reflected positively in the nursery. This helps children to feel that they belong and to realise that their contributions are valued. Children are learning to take some responsibility for tasks that are within their capabilities, such as helping themselves to drinking water when they need it. Staff encourage children to develop a good understanding of different aspects of healthy lifestyles. Children are learning to make healthy choices about their snacks and eat a variety of fresh fruits. Staff encourage children's involvement in food preparation, to extend their interest and learning in this area. Posters and pictures, including artwork, provide useful information for the children about healthy lifestyles. Children are encouraged to try new tastes to develop a better understanding of their

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

likes and dislikes. Children play energetically outdoors each day and learn what their bodies can do. This increases their understanding of the importance of physical activities to support healthy lifestyles. Overall, children know the expectations for them to behave and play well together. Children's good behaviour contributes to an inclusive environment in the nursery. Overall, the learning environment is rich and welcoming for children and this clearly demonstrates the provider's good understanding of how children learn. Children are learning to engage themselves purposefully and make meaningful choices about how to use their time.

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provision

The manager works effectively and achieves good management of the nursery so that children make good progress in all areas of learning and development. The manager and staff are knowledgeable about the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and promote the Montessori approach to help children learn in their early years. Management and staff work well together and provide good support to promote children's learning.

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provision

Effective systems for monitoring staff's practice ensure that there is continuous tracking and planning for the next steps for each child. This helps children to achieve at a good or better pace in line with their expected stage of development.

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provision

The manager and staff fully understand their responsibility for safeguarding and they take a systematic approach to managing these areas of practice. The manager, who is the designated child protection officer, has good understanding of child protection matters. The recruitment procedure is sound and it includes all elements, such as vetting and induction for all staff. Staff know what to do if concerns arise about children's well-being, because there are clear processes for the management of safeguarding matters. Staff make good use of risk assessments to identify and minimise risks to the children, indoors and outside. The nursery's policies and procedures are known and implemented by all staff and shared effectively with parents. This all ensures that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities in the nursery.

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provision

The manager understands the reasons for working in partnership with parents and others involved in children's development. Parents praise staff for the good quality learning experiences that they provide for their children. They state that children's communication and confidence have soared since they have started in the nursery. They feel that these achievements will help their children, particularly as many will soon make the move to full- time education.

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provision

The manager continuously and successfully evaluates practice in the nursery. This enables her to review practice often and prioritise areas for improvement. However, the manager needs to develop stronger links with other professionals For example, by working more closely with the local authority's early years development workers. Although the nursery has only recently opened, the leadership team has laid a strong foundation on which to build good practice in all aspects of the provision for the children.

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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 EY470773 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 939457 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 23 Name of provider Janani Thavendrarajah Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07947127225

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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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