Pillar Box Montessori

Pillar Box Montessori 107 Bow Road, Bow, London, E3 2AN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 June 2016 26 November 2015

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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 is passionate to improve and has succeeded in raising the quality of the provision since the last inspection. Staff work well together and he supports them to access further training to improve their knowledge and skills.  Kind and caring key persons form close relationships with children and help them feel settled, secure and ready to learn.  Staff are good examples in how to treat others. They have applied what they have learnt about how to promote children's behaviour. They provide clear guidance for them about what is acceptable. Children behave well, play cooperatively and learn to share.  Staff teach well and have a good knowledge of how children learn. They provide a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities that promotes children's development well. As a result, all children make good progress.  Staff create strong and effective partnerships with parents. They know children and

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This provision is good

their families well and can provide care that is tailored to their individual needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always use opportunities to encourage older children to develop their independence.  Managers do not always check the progress of different groups of children effectively to help ensure any gaps in their learning close quickly.

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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

 use more opportunities to encourage older children's independence to help develop their learning  ensure that checks on the progress of different groups of children help identify any who need more support with their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to managers, members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this had on children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's learning records and planning documentation. She checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children and looked at policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked hard to improve provision. They have followed advice from local authority consultants and have sought the views of parents, for example through regular questionnaires, to help make improvements. They have remedied previous weaknesses; for instance, they have enhanced the garden area to provide a more stimulating outdoor environment. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a good awareness of the signs and symptoms that a child might be at risk of harm and know their roles and responsibilities if they have any concerns about a child. The manager has put appropriate recruitment, vetting and induction procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. He checks teaching practice regularly and gives staff helpful guidance to improve their skills and children's outcomes further.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff observe and assess individual children's development and use this information to plan suitable activities for them. Children enjoy practical activities; for example, younger children played with flour and water mixed with dried pasta. They enjoyed feeling the different textures with their hands. Staff gently encourage older children, such as helping them participate in group time by telling their friends about how they celebrated Father's Day. Children are active learners and use the resources accessible to them. They choose what they are interested in and which activities they wish to join. Staff interact effectively with them to extend their learning; for example, they play a variety of different sounds and ask them to guess what they are listening to.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are happy, confident and eager to learn. They feel comfortable approaching adults in the setting to ask for support and to talk to visitors about what they are doing. Staff use lots of opportunities to promote children's self-esteem; for example, they praise them for their efforts and achievements. Children learn to respect other cultures and views; for example, they explore different religious festivals and enjoy cooking and tasting foods from other countries. Children take part in regular activities outside the nursery, such as weekly ballet classes which help them to exercise and control their bodies.

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Outcomes for children are good

Staff ensure that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Children develop the skills needed for the next stage in their learning or the move to school. For example, older children learn to recognise and write their own name and they learn early reading and number skills well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 119603 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 1037355 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Pillar Box Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 November 2015 Telephone number 020 8980 0700

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reference number

Pillar Box Montessori opened in 1995. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 49 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6.55pm. The nursery is in receipt of funding for free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff, including the manager. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications and one has early years teacher status. The nursery follows the Montessori philosophy of teaching.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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

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