Derby Montessori School

Derby Montessori Montessori House, Rowditch Place, Derby, DE22 3NJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/09/2014 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff plan and implement a varied range of activities and experiences that children enjoy. All children make good progress in their learning.  Children play well together and develop positive attitudes towards one another, as staff promotes children's behaviour well. Children are valued and included.  Children display a strong sense of ownership of the setting and consequently, treat their surroundings and others with respect.  Partnerships with parents are strong. The collaborative and cohesive partnership effectively contributes to meeting children's needs.  Leadership and management are effective. The manager and staff evaluate and constantly improve the provision so that children receive improved learning experiences.  All staff understands the importance of safeguarding children and knows what to do should they have concerns about a child.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some aspects of partnership working are not fully robust, as staff has yet to build effective communication links with all the different settings that children attend.

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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 had a tour of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children during activities in all areas of the setting, both indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation. These were discussed with staff at regular intervals.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of staff working with children and the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Derby Montessori was established in 1995, moving to its current location and re- registering in 2014. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a converted Victorian house close to Derby city centre and is owned by Interweb Spark Ltd. The setting is run by a senior management team and there are six members' staff who work directly with the children. All of these staff holds an appropriate early years qualification. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The setting opens Monday to Friday, term-time only. It is open from 7.30am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 37 children on roll in the early years age group. The setting 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. The provision is affiliated

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

 strengthen partnership working by ensuring there are robust communication links with all the settings children attend, so that children fully benefit from a shared understanding and common approach to supporting their progress.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The staff team have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. As a result, they provide a highly stimulating and exciting environment, which they are aware helps children to make good progress in their learning. Detailed observations and assessments of the children show that they continue to make good progress. Staff deliver consistent practice, observing, assessing and planning effectively for each child's progress with a clear knowledge of children's needs and interests. A tracking system is used to record children's starting points and subsequent progress. This is used to identify where any gaps may occur in children's learning and development.

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who attend

The youngest children enjoy open-ended activities, which allow them to explore and develop their ideas. For example, the creative station offers children the opportunity to use paint or glue with brushes, scrapers or their hands, to make their designs. Staff recognises that children may wish to return to the activity later in the day to add to their picture or to make a new one, so the activity is freely available for an extended period. As a result, children become deeply involved in their chosen task and are supported effectively by staff. The cultural and linguistic heritage of all children who attend the nursery is highly valued, and suitable resources, activities and explorations of different cultural festivals support children's understanding of the diverse society in which they live. The staff have planned a 'Me, myself, I' topic to further look at the children's different backgrounds. Activities

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who attend

include self-portraits, 'Who lives in my house?' drawings, photographs and experiences, such as food tasting and speaking words. Furthermore, staff have involved parents in the planning of this topic to share their experiences to enhance the children's learning. As a result, children develop a sense of belonging and a value of their own background and that of others.

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who attend

Staff use phonics teaching resources to develop children's knowledge and understanding of letter sounds. Children are involved in their own learning and they take pride in their own 'sounds' book. They enjoy cutting out the letters and sticking them in their books. The children identify words that begin with the sound of the letter and move on to more difficult phonemes when they are ready. Staff use the 'I-spy' game and the Montessori moveable alphabet to support children's early reading skills from a young age. These effective teaching methods mean that children make very good progress with their early reading skills. As a result, children acquire the skills they need to be ready for their next stage in learning.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are invited to meet with their child's key person to discuss written progress reports and share ideas of how they can extend their child's learning at home. Consequently, parents are continuously involved in their child's learning. Parents and carers also receive daily reports about activities that children have enjoyed, meals and care routines. Staff communicates verbally each day to share information and the staff team are highly approachable, friendly and they strive to meet the needs of the child.

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

Children have formed strong attachments to the friendly and approachable staff in the setting. The key-person system is used effectively and children receive lots of reassurance as they separate from their main carers and settle in. The staff recognise that all children settle at a different pace, and the support given is versatile and centred on the particular family needs. Children's personal, social and emotional development is extremely well fostered as children play extremely well together. Staff plan many Montessori learning experiences to give children opportunities to develop effective learning skills, such as turn taking and listening. Staff promotes and role model kind and caring attitudes, which results in a calm and loving environment and teaches children to develop firm relationships with each other. For example, 'grace and courtesy' activities encourage children to think about the feelings of others and show awareness of their behaviour

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

expectations. Staff manages children's behaviour exceptionally well and they respond very well to praise and encouragement.

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

Children learn about healthy lifestyles and follow very good hygiene practices as they take responsibility for washing their hands appropriately throughout the day. Independence is further promoted at meal and snack times. Children are encouraged to help themselves to a nutritiously prepared snack and a drink and monitor their own hunger needs. Parents provide a packed lunch for the children that adheres to the healthy eating policy of the setting to ensure continuity of promoting a healthy lifestyle. Children delight in opening their lunch and seeing what they have. Lunchtime is used as a social occasion where children talk about their day and share stories of their home life. As a result, children are extremely sociable, confident and emotionally secure for their next stage in learning or the move to school.

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

Children enjoy a superb and varied range of activities that contribute to their excellent all- round health. Daily opportunities are provided for children to use the large outdoor paved area for large movement activities, such as, hula-hoops, bats and balls and skipping ropes. Children also have access to a natural garden area where they search for insects in the 'mini-beast' area and water the vegetables that they have planted. This supports their understanding of how to care for living things. The open space provided indoors also allows children to develop their physical skills as children enjoy dancing with flowing material to different styles of music. Children use the Montessori 'dressing frames' to develop the skills to be able to dress and undress themselves. Therefore, children are acquiring the necessary self-care skills ready for their move to school.

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

Safety is highly prioritised. Staff complete highly-effective risk assessments, to ensure all areas of the provision and equipment are suitable for use. Children are learning to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others and are able to move around the nursery safely, confidently and independently. When children walk across the car park to the natural outdoor garden area they hold a long rope and stay in line while being reminded about rules of safety. Children are given opportunities to manage their own risks within the boundaries of effective risk assessment. This means that they are developing an awareness of the importance of staying safe. Children develop independence superbly and learn how to look after equipment and resources as part of the daily routine. They take part in 'tidy-up time', putting away the equipment with little prompting. Children take extreme pride in their personal belongings, for example, packing away their lunch and

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

placing their belongings in their personal tray or on their own peg. Children immensely enjoy having personal jobs, such as, washing the windows or dishes from lunch and take pride in their work. Children are highly motivated and interested. They show a strong sense of ownership of the setting and consequently, treat their surroundings and others with respect.

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provision

There is a strong management team and all staff benefit from clear leadership across the setting. The manager is fully aware of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensures that staff fully meets all requirements. This results in a safe, secure and supportive setting, for all children. Clear recruitment procedures are in place, which ensures all adults working with the children are suitably checked. Staff are fully aware of their role and responsibilities for children's safety and welfare and understands the procedures to follow if they were concerned about a child. The nursery provides regular training for all staff on safeguarding and this ensures they are confident in all aspects of keeping children safe and fully secure. Anyone unknown to staff is questioned as they approach the building, as staff are fully aware that the safety of the children is paramount. As a result, children are safeguarded well.

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provision

Staff are highly skilled and continue to develop as they are encouraged to gain further qualifications and extend their knowledge, improving outcomes for children. Staff share their views through appraisals and are encouraged to think of ways in which the setting, or practice, could develop further. As a result, the staff team reflect critically in order to constantly improve the service they provide. For example, staff have identified that the demand in provision for children with additional needs has increased so they have specified training in this area as a priority. The manager supports staff well through an effective system for supervision, appraisals and identification of training needs. Staff ensures that the educational programmes offer a broad range of experiences for children so they make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

Partnerships with parents ensure that children's needs are effectively met. Parents cannot praise the setting and the staff highly enough. They comment positively about the support provided for themselves and their children. For example, one parent describes the moment she left her child for the first time as an 'emotional rollercoaster' and praises the staff for the emotional support and reassurance she received. Parents comment how well their children have settled. The setting have developed systems to share information about children's development with other providers, such as, previous nurseries or continued school provision, to ensure a collaborative and cohesive approach to supporting children's development. For example, staff send transition documents when the children leave to go to school. They also actively request development files for the children that have started so that they can continue to provide stage appropriate activities and

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provision

experiences. However, this work has not been fully extended to include all the settings who are involved with children. As a result, there is more to do to strengthen communication links with some partners.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY476012 Local authority Derby, City of Inspection number 966909 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Interweb Spark Limited t/a Derby Montessori School Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01332346333

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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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