Sunflower Montessori

Sunflower Montessori 9 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DS

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 July 2015 6 July 2010

p.1

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

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

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff plan a broad range of activities and experiences which successfully challenge and excite the children. Consequently, they are motivated to learn and make good progress in all areas of their learning.  Staff build warm and trusting relationships with the children. They give them lots of praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. This builds children's confidence and supports their emotional and physical well-being successfully.  There are strong partnerships with parents, professionals and other early years providers. This highly contributes to meeting children's individual needs effectively.  Staff have a thorough knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. They are able to identify the signs and symptoms that may be a cause for concern and are clear on the reporting procedures to follow.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children have easy access to writing materials. However, on occasion, staff miss opportunities for children to practise their writing skills in daily routines and activities, such as labelling their own pictures or writing for different purposes in their role play.  Children are not always able to choose from a wide range of resources during their self- chosen play to develop their imaginations and creative skills.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 make the most of opportunities for children to practise their early writing skills  provide children with more opportunities to use their imaginations and develop their creative skills.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including assessments of children's learning.  The inspector held meetings with the owners and spoke to staff and children.  The inspector completed a joint observation with one of the owners.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Staff know the children extremely well. They interact with them in a positive way, making the most of every opportunity to develop and extend their learning. Staff speak slowly and clearly with the children as they play. They introduce new words and ask questions that require more than a `yes' or `no' answer. This promotes children's communication and language well and develops their thinking skills. Children learn about letters and the sounds they make. They match, count and sort items, using words such as `fat' and `thin' to describe their size. Staff encourage children to predict which items will float or sink as they learn about different materials and shapes. Staff make learning fun. For example, children enjoy finding out about different artists and painting pictures in their style. Children play well with one another, share and take turns. They listen to stories and follow instructions. This helps them in preparation for the next stage in their learning and school.

p.3

good

Staff create an extremely warm and welcoming environment. Children show that they feel comfortable, safe and enjoy the company of the staff. Staff teach the children about healthy lifestyles. Children have daily opportunities to benefit from fresh air and physical exercise in the outdoor space. Children visit the local church, art gallery and library, which gives them a strong sense of community. They follow thorough hygiene routines and understand why these are important. They independently pour their drinks, serve themselves and wash their cups after snack. Staff are good role models and routinely build children's confidence. As a result, children have a good understanding of right from wrong, and their behaviour is good.

p.3

provision is good

The management and staff have a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the requirements. They constantly evaluate and review the provision and have a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for development. This means they have fully addressed the recommendations raised at the last inspection. There are robust systems to monitor staff effectiveness and an effective programme of professional development, which benefits children's learning. For example, staff use their knowledge and skills gained through training opportunities to provide activities which support children's communication and language. This has had a particularly positive impact on those children learning to speak English as an additional language. Regular supervision meetings support staff to discuss the progress of their key children and set targets for continued improvement. This helps them monitor children's progress to address any gaps

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 142790 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 841549 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 61 Name of provider Sunflower Montessori Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 6 July 2010 Telephone number 01373 453853

p.4

Setting details

Sunflower Montessori Nursery registered in 1992. It is situated in Frome, Somerset. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm, term time only. They are in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The two owners share joint responsibility for managing the nursery and employ four members of staff, all of whom have early years qualifications. The nursery follows the Montessori educational philosophy.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

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’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5