St Andrews Montessori

St Andrews Montessori St. Andrews Montessori, Thornhill Square, LONDON, N1 1BQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 April 2016 30 November 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is outstanding. Highly experienced staff provide an exceptional range of interesting and challenging activities that engages and motivates children. They use extremely skilful questioning techniques to encourage children to explore their ideas. Children develop high levels of independence and are making rapid progress.  Frequent and high-quality observations are used to meticulously plan for children's next steps in learning. Staff make excellent use of information provided by parents to reinforce their assessments. This helps to ensure that all children achieve the best possible outcomes.  Children are very happy. They show high levels of curiosity and imagination and approach all activities with great enthusiasm. Children confidently make choices and follow their own interests and ideas.  Strong key-person systems are in place, helping children to develop secure relationships with staff. Care routines are fully tailored to children's individual needs.

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This provision is outstanding

Staff are kind, attentive and help to build children's confidence and self-esteem.  The partnerships with parents are very strong. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the very supportive care their children receive. They are provided with ideas for activities that could be used to enhance and develop their child's learning even further while at home. Parents are kept very well informed about their children's progress.  The leadership team has an exceptionally successful drive for improvement. Robust checking of the quality of the provision through self-evaluation is securely embedded and highly effective. Staff continually reflect on their practice and identify areas to strengthen their already outstanding provision.

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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

 continue to build on the arrangements in place to closely monitor children's development and make good use of the additional information gained, in order to help maintain the excellent outcomes already achieved for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager. He looked at relevant documentation, such as self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Management and staff have an excellent understanding of the learning and development requirements. The manager monitors children's progress meticulously through the precise analysis and comparison of groups of children. She puts additional support in place quickly where any gaps in learning are identified. Future plans are in place to use tracking systems for evaluating trends in children's learning. Staff form very successful links with external agencies to ensure that all children's needs are exceptionally well met. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Children's safety and welfare are given the utmost priority. Staff are highly knowledgeable of the signs and symptoms that would raise concerns about a child's safety or welfare. Highly effective induction processes and purposeful supervision meetings ensure that staff are refining their knowledge and skills continually through training and performance management.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Teaching is inspirational. Staff use their expert knowledge to support and engage in purposeful interactions with children as they play. They identify specific starting points for each child and maintain exemplary records on how well they are progressing. Young children learn excellent mathematical skills. They independently explore shapes and begin to make patterns, relating them to things they see in their environment. Staff help children to learn about the world they live in. They engage in outstanding conversations with children as they explore different countries and continents. Children highly engage and begin to think critically about what they are learning through asking questions and giving their own ideas.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are happy and extremely well cared for in this highly nurturing environment. Staff develop excellent relationships with children, who are exceptionally well behaved. Children play harmoniously with their friends and one another. Staff offer frequent praise and encouragement to children for their excellent manners. Children are very confident. They learn about their wider community through discussions with staff. For example, they use their very good imagination to act out a tea party at the Queen's house. Children have an excellent awareness of healthy lifestyles and exercise. Staff create enjoyable activities to promote children's physical well-being.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make consistently high rates of progress in relation to their starting points. They make excellent progress in learning early mathematical skills. For example, they explore number patterns and begin to add and take away from large quantities. Staff help young children to be highly independent as they learn to put their own shoes and coats on before going out to play. Older children can write their own names and begin to read small words. They learn about life cycles and begin to make their own picture stories independently. Children are extremely well prepared for their next steps in learning and the move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 131736 Local authority Islington Inspection number 1024410 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 70 Number of children on roll 69 Name of provider Little Acorn Nursery Schools Ltd Date of previous inspection 30 November 2011 Telephone number 02077002961

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Setting details

St Andrews Montessori was registered in 1999. The setting employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4 or above, including two who have early years professional status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are Monday to Thursday from 8.45am until 3pm and Friday from 8.45am to midday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school is a Montessori accredited school.

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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

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

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