Epping Montessori Nursery

Epping Montessori Nursery Catholic Church Hall, Church Hill, Epping, CM16 4RA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 January 2015 17 January 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is very good. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of how children learn and develop. Consequently, children make swift progress towards the early learning goals.  Staff are very friendly and caring towards the children. They place an emphasis on spending one-to-one time with their key children, when possible, and, as a result, children are happy and enjoy their time in this very relaxed learning environment.  The manager has high expectations of all staff. She encourages them to attend a wide range of training courses to enhance the quality of their teaching, which has a positive impact on children's learning.  Staff consistently promote children's emotional well-being. As a result, children are confident and this prepares them well for their next stage of learning.  Partnerships with parents are very effective. Staff work collaboratively with them to support children's learning and meet their individual needs well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make best use of the garden. On occasions, they provide toys and activities that focus on supporting children's physical development and, therefore, do not fully extend their learning in the other areas of development.  Staff do not consistently give children clear explanations of why they need to follow the rules of the setting or the impact their actions could have on their personal safety if they choose not to follow them.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 enhance children's learning in the outdoor environment by providing a wider range of activities that promote the seven areas of learning and development, in order to support children's good progress towards the early learning goals  strengthen children's understanding of how they can contribute to their personal safety by consistently reminding them why they need to follow the nursery's rules, such as walking inside or using tools safely, and what will happen if they choose not to.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the setting and observed children taking part in a range of activities. She spoke with the staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager and held a meeting with her.  The inspector checked evidence of Disclosure and Barring Service checks, suitability, qualifications and training of staff.  The inspector looked at a range of policies, procedures, risk assessments and children's assessments.  The inspector spoke to parents and has taken account of their views.

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who attend. This is good

Staff consistently promote children's communication and language development. They engage in conversations with them throughout play, introduce new vocabulary and ask questions that encourage children to think about their answers. For example, during a story about dustbin men, staff talk about their jackets being fluorescent and the reasons for this. Therefore, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, learn to be effective communicators. Staff work in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They implement their advice to ensure that children with additional needs make good progress, given their starting points. Staff provide a wide range of interesting toys and activities inside that engage children for sustained periods of time. However, they do not always make best use of the garden. For example, on occasions, they focus heavily on supporting

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who attend. This is good

children's physical development, therefore, do not always fully extend their learning in other areas.

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good

Children generally know the good behaviour that staff expect of them. This is evident because they consistently put toys and games back in their boxes and replace them on the low-level shelves before choosing a new toy to play with. Therefore, children learn to take care of their belongings and those of others. Staff speak to children at the beginning of the session about the rules of the nursery. However, they do not always remind them or provide them with clear explanations at pertinent times throughout the day. For example, they do not remind the children of the nursery's rules when using their knives at snack time or when they run inside. Therefore, children do not always learn about the impact their actions could have on their personal safety. Nevertheless, staff respond to children's needs, for example, when children are running inside, they instinctively recognise that these children would benefit from playing outside in the fresh air, in an open space. This

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good

helps to promote their physical development.

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provision is good

The manager has good knowledge of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She effectively monitors and evaluates the quality of the educational programmes and nursery practice, enabling her to identify targets for improvement. For example, future plans include enhancing the use of the garden during the winter months. The manager and staff demonstrate their dedication to continuously develop the quality of their teaching and care to ensure that children's individual needs are well met. Staff are knowledgeable about the nursery's whistleblowing procedure and know how to protect children from harm. All staff have recently completed refresher training in safeguarding children, which ensures they have up-to-date knowledge of current child protection issues to promote children's safety and welfare.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127806 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1003289

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 39 Name of provider Jennifer Timms Date of previous inspection 17 January 2011 Telephone number 01992 577636

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Type of provision

Epping Montessori Nursery was registered in 1992. It operates from the Catholic Church hall in Epping, and is privately managed. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9.30am until 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 9.30am until 1pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The nursery 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 and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery is operated within the ethos of Montessori teaching and it has links with another Montessori nursery in Loughton.

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Type of provision

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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Type of provision

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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