Clapham Park Montessori and Infant Community

Montessori Infant Community The Contact Centre, 60 Hambalt Road, Clapham, LONDON, SW4 9EH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/11/2014 28/09/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff plans cover all areas of learning well, with particular strengths in early literacy, mathematics and physical development.  Staff assess children regularly and use this information in planning to meet the individual needs of children.  Children behave well because staff use praise effectively to motivate them to behave in positive ways.  Staff work well with parents by keeping them informed of their children's progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not provide a fully developed range of daily, open-ended creative activities for children under three years of age.  Staff do not maximise opportunities for children to learn about, and to use, technology.

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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 interaction between staff and children in the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector tracked the progress of several children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation and held a discussion with management.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took their views into consideration.

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Information about the setting

Montessori Infant Community opened in 2006. It operates from a contact centre in Clapham in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is close to the open spaces of Clapham Common. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 34 children in the early years range on roll. The nursery supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. It opens from Monday to Friday from 9.15am until 3.45pm with part-time sessions available, during the term time only. The nursery employs eight staff, including the managers. Six staff, including the managers, hold Montessori qualifications at level 4, and two staff are unqualified but working towards early years qualifications. The teaching method used is Montessori, which is combined with learning through play. The nursery receives funding for early education for children aged three and four years.

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

 develop further open-ended creative activities to support children's expressive art and design skills, particularly for those under three years of age

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

 develop further opportunities for children to learn about, and to use, technology.

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who attend

Children make good progress. They display a high degree of independence as they self- select Montessori resources according to their ability. This helps children to engage in activities that are suitably challenging. Staff provide adult-led activities which cover all areas of learning and enable children to achieve a balance between creating their own play and structured learning. Staff observe children regularly and use this information to plan well to meet children's individual needs. Younger children move freely between the indoor and outdoor environment which supports different ways that children learn.

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who attend

Staff make timely interventions in children's play. They enable children to try to solve problems for themselves. For instance, as the children completed graded towers they worked out that the bricks were not in size order and made corrections themselves. Children showed good small muscle control as they used sponges to transfer water from one container to another. They enjoyed making marks and practised their early writing skills on chalk boards and in writing areas where they used a range of tools and materials. Staff were observed to encourage children to make a leaf picture using tissue paper. Although this supports their creative development, the creative activities for younger children are not open-ended or varied to encourage children to explore different materials. Staff happily sang songs with children who followed actions and learnt the names of body parts. Children use musical instruments and learn about differences in sounds. Younger

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who attend

children use electronic toys and this helps them to learn about simple technology; however opportunities for older children to use technology are not fully developed. Staff read children's favourite stories as they listen attentively and make spontaneous comments. This supports children's language development. Children learn to recognise their names and learn about letter names and sounds through fun games. This supports their early literacy skills. They learn to take turns to speak and listen during group time discussion. Generally, children learn good skills for later use in school.

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who attend

Children enjoy a range of activities in the outdoor area. They use scooters and push bikes to ride and balance. They move freely, bounce confidently on small trampolines and learn to climb up to low platforms on frames. Staff talk to children about nature as they go on bug hunts. At the inspection, children examined the features of snails and slugs and staff taught them the names of the mini beasts. Children practised blowing bubbles from soapy mixtures and delighted in popping the bubbles as they floated through the air.

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who attend

Children who learn English as an additional language make good progress. Several staff speak different languages which helps children's communication skills. They use picture cards to help children to learn the English names of objects.

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who attend

Staff provide interesting opportunities for parents to support children's learning. They suggest home activities for parents to do with their children. Staff keep parents well informed of their children's progress because they have regular meetings to review their development. Staff talk to parents each day and share information and observations.

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

Staff greet children warmly when they arrive and guide them to different activities to help them to settle in. They find out about children's interests and skills and reflect their interests in activities. The effective key-person system means that staff get to know children well and respond readily to their emotional needs. They provide comfort and reassurance to new children by spending time with them. Children choose from a wide range of accessible resources which encourages their independence. The nursery is spacious and organised which enables children to find resources readily.

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

Staff manage children's behaviour well. They discuss how to show kindness and respect to each other and remind children of the need for good manners. As a result, children behave well because they are clear about staff expectations. Staff are gentle in their approach to managing children's behaviour. They teach children safe ways to behave, such as using 'walking feet' indoors, and how to hold chairs safely to move them across the nursery. Children learn about different ways of life because staff celebrate significant events, such as Diwali. Staff teach children good personal care habits, such as hand washing at appropriate times, and encourage their independence. Children put on their outer clothing and shoes, with staff providing assistance as needed.

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

Children learn to eat healthily and to keep strong. This is because staff provide nutritious snacks which meet children's special dietary needs and discuss heathy eating with them. Staff take children outdoors each day where they get fresh air and use a range of equipment and move in different ways. They learn to be independent as they prepare tables for snacks and serve themselves and others snacks and pour their own drinks.

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

Staff help children to settle readily into new group rooms at the nursery. They spend time in new rooms to get to know new routines and environments. Staff support children who move to school by inviting local teachers to visit the nursery so that they get to know children. They also share information on children's development with locals schools.

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provision

Staff work effectively well to help ensure children's safety. Over half of the staff team are qualified first aiders who work in all group rooms. This helps to ensure there is easy access to first aid treatment in accidents and emergencies. Management check staff suitability for their roles by carrying out a series of robust background checks. This helps to keep children safe. Management has put in place a number of relevant policies and procedures to keep children protected from harm. For instance, staff have good knowledge of procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare. The management team meets its obligations in relation to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage because its members have a good understanding of their responsibilities in this area.

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provision

Monitoring of the nursery is good. Staff have clear ideas about children's developmental levels because they track their progress and take action to close gaps in their learning. The manager plans with staff and has discussions with them about how they meet children's needs. They discuss observations with staff and how they feed into planning to meet children's needs. The manager reviews all learning journals each half term so that she can check for quality and consistency. Staff receive good levels of support and management talk to them daily and provide support for any issues. Management also offer staff opportunities for confidential discussion in supervision. Staff have their training needs identified effectively because management carry out regular staff appraisals. For instance, staff attended a course on sign language and this has improved communication for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

Staff keep parents up to date on their children's progress through regular reviews and daily interaction. They provide parents with interesting opportunities to support their children's learning, such as suggestions on different activities they could do at home. Staff also provide workshops for parents covering different areas of learning so that understand how children learn at the nursery. They support children who move to school by sharing their assessment information with schools. Staff also invite teachers to visit to get to know children. Children spend time in older group rooms before moving at the nursery. This helps them to get to know new staff and routines and to settle readily.

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provision

The management team has set clear priorities for improvement based on regular evaluation of the nursery. For instance, the team plans to continue to enhance the outdoor learning environment to provide further activities for children. Previous recommendations have been met, such as improved records of children's attendance for safety reasons. The nursery has a good capacity to improve future outcomes for children.

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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 EY337464 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 843993 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 1 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Rosalind Bowles & Lucia Gomez-Santana Partnership Date of previous inspection 28/09/2010 Telephone number 0207 498 8324

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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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