The Children's House Montessori

The Children's House Montessori 239 West Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 0HZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 February 2016 9 June 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The manager has worked hard over the last year to make improvements. She leads a team of dedicated and caring staff who are committed to providing high standards of care.  The management team clearly knows what is working well in the nursery and what else can be developed further. Detailed action plans are in place to make sure improvements continue to be made.  A strong focus on staff training and development has significantly enhanced the quality of teaching. As a result, children make good progress in their learning.  The nursery provides a very homely, warm, safe and welcoming environment for babies and young children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some records of children's development are not always precise enough to help staff and parents understand what children need to learn next.  Not all parents have the opportunity to share enough information with staff about what their children are learning and are interested in doing at home.

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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

 ensure all records of children's development contain precise targets which help staff plan for what children need to learn next  develop different ways to help parents share information about what their children are interested in and doing at home to support their ongoing learning needs.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the support for children's learning, both inside and outside.  The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection and assessed how well they understood the nursery's policies around safeguarding and the support for children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager to evaluate the quality of teaching.  The inspector held discussions with the nursery manager and nursery owner and assessed how well improvements have been made in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to parents available on the day of inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including records of staff training and qualifications, the complaints log, safeguarding forms, staff suitability checks and children's progress records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The nursery manager has high expectations of her team and regularly reflects on practice and identifies further ways to improve. For example, she has made considerable changes to the outside area over a short space of time. This has significantly increased the range of learning opportunities for children. Regular checks on the quality of practice and opportunities for training have increased the staff's confidence and knowledge. Staff feel valued by the leadership team and have regular times to talk about any concerns they may have and identify their own development needs. Safeguarding is effective. Staff clearly understand what action they must take if they are concerned about a child's welfare. The nursery premises are maintained to an adequate standard and good attention is given towards children's safety and security.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff now have a much better understanding of how to support babies' and young children's learning. Information is generally much more accurate about how children learn and the progress they make. Staff use this well to plan interesting and exciting activities, both inside and outside. The nursery manager makes sure that children continually achieve well. For example, she noted that boys did not show as much interest in developing their writing skills as girls. To address this, she asked the staff to provide more opportunities for boys to practise using tools and making marks in the outside area. This has been highly effective and now means that boys are progressing in line with girls. Staff carry out checks to make sure each child is making progress and this information is shared with parents. Although staff encourage parents to become closely involved in this process, not many parents choose to do so. This means valuable information about what children

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

are interested in at home is not routinely shared.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children develop very secure relationships with the staff. They snuggle up to staff as they look at books and hold their arms up for cuddles and reassurance. Staff are very attentive towards the children and quickly respond when any baby or child is in need of comfort. Children are helped to settle into the nursery through flexible routines and close involvement with parents. This helps to build their confidence and prepares them well for when they transfer to the sister nursery for older children.

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Outcomes for children are good

Good quality teaching means babies and children develop a real interest in learning. They enjoy many opportunities to explore and investigate and have the freedom to choose where they play within a safe environment. This enables them to concentrate for longer periods as they are interested in what they are doing and have chosen things themselves. For example, after a staff member showed a child how to unscrew the puzzle pieces, he remained engaged in this activity for some time and was clearly very proud of his achievements. Babies and children develop good skills in communicating as staff continually engage with them and support their language skills well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY472838 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1037531 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 3 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider The Children's House Montessori Limited Date of previous inspection 9 June 2014 Telephone number 01329 230777

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Setting details

The Children's House Montessori Limited registered in 2013. It caters for children from birth to three years and is located in Fareham, Hampshire. It is one of two nurseries. A sister nursery in the same road cares for children from three years to school-age. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. There are currently 34 children on roll and the nursery accepts funding for children aged two-years. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm all year round. A team of six staff work with the children. Of these, five hold early years qualifications. The nursery manager is qualified to foundation degree level.

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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

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Setting details

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