College Town Montessori Nursery SchoolOfsted inspection, 3 Jul 2015

College Town Montessori School 117 College Road, College Town, Sandhurst, Berkshire, GU47 0RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 July 2015 28 September 2012

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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 good. Skilled and qualified staff provide an interesting range of activities which capture children's curiosity and imagination and effectively promote children's learning. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points. This ensures they have the skills needed for their future move to school.  Children develop secure attachments with their key person. Robust procedures ensure that any additional health needs are sensitively met and children's well-being and safety are well promoted as a result.  Children are safeguarded well, as the staff have a thorough understanding of how to implement policies, procedures and safe working practices. The premises are secure, ratios are met and staff supervise the children well, which helps to ensure their safety.  Effective systems for sharing information and working in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals mean that there is a consistent approach to children's

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This provision is good

care and learning.  Targets for improvement are effectively identified because management, staff, parents and children are included in the self-evaluation process. The setting's capacity for continuous improvement is good.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Snack time routines for younger children do not build on skills, such as pouring or preparing food, and sometimes children sit for too long while they wait for children to wash their hands and be served.  The garden classrooms are not as well-resourced as the indoor classrooms. This sometimes limits the level of challenge for older children.

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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

 embrace opportunities to develop children's independence further and enhance the experiences of younger children during routine activities  improve the level of challenge for older children by ensuring all areas they use are well-resourced.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main indoor and outdoor play spaces.  The inspector held discussions with the owners, the management team and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke to members of the staff team about the progress of their key children and their understanding of the setting's policies and procedures.  The inspector looked at samples of observations, tracking and assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability for staff working with children, and a range of other documentation.  The inspector also took into account the views of children and spoke to a small number of parents.

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who attend. This is good

Staff encourage children to be independent learners who make their own choices and decisions in their play. They support children well and during play activities they skilfully incorporate opportunities for children to count and build on their growing mathematical understanding. For example, during an imaginary game, older children talk about time and count confidently before they all run when the 'wolf' starts to chase them. This activity successfully builds on the children's previous interest in reading the time on the classroom clock. Children freely access a good selection of toys indoors that support their learning, including natural resources they have gathered in the local environment. However, the selection in the outdoor classrooms is not as varied or accessible as the selection inside. This means children are not always engaged and challenged in their learning outdoors.

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good

Children are confident and enjoy themselves. Children behave well and gain a suitable awareness of keeping themselves safe. Children are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle and learn to follow good hygiene routines, which are suitably modelled by staff. However, staff do not embrace the learning opportunities snack time offer to enhance children's learning and growing independence. Some children sit for too long at snack time; they become restless and do not enjoy this social occasion. Children enjoy the garden areas, where they are able to run, throw balls, build with construction blocks, and explore sand and water. They enjoy swimming lessons in the large outdoor pool and gain confidence in their own abilities as they work towards achieving their swimming goals. As a result of the care and support they receive, children are well-prepared for school.

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provision is good

The owner, supported by her well-qualified and dedicated management team, effectively implements the safeguarding and learning requirements in this family-run nursery. Safeguarding procedures are robust. The team is clear on its responsibility to report any concerns about a child's welfare. Thorough recruitment procedures ensure all those who work with children are suitable to do so. There is a strictly enforced mobile phone and camera policy. Monitoring of children's progress is effective and ensures gaps are narrowing for groups of children, such as those who receive the two-year-old funding. Staff use ongoing reflective practice to set realistic targets for improvement. The owner makes good use of her own and external assessments to evaluate the provision. Staff supervision is effective and training has a positive impact on the outcomes for children. For example, 'phonics training' has led to an enhanced programme for children's

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provision is good

communication and language development. Strong partnerships with professionals and local schools promote consistency for children's care and support for their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY444686 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 1018067 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 73 Name of provider College Town Montessori Nursery School Limited Date of previous inspection 28 September 2012 Telephone number 07765520441

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Setting details

College Town Montessori Nursery School registered in 2012. It operates from a residential property in the College Town area of Sandhurst, Berkshire. The nursery is open for 48 weeks of the year. Children attend on a full-day basis between 8am and 6pm, or for a shorter day from 9am to 4pm. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years old.

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Setting details

There are 17 full-time staff members who work with the children, including the owner and co-owner. Five staff members hold degrees in early education, one holds a degree in French and four senior staff members hold Early Years Teacher Status. The owner and one other staff member also hold a Montessori teaching qualification, and the co-owner has a recognised swimming qualification. In addition, six staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 3 and two to level 2.

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Setting details

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

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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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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