Hillcrest Montessori Nursery School

Hillcrest Montessori Nursery School Hillcrest Hall, Fryston Avenue, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2PT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 October 2016 9 December 2013

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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 manager is extremely proactive in reflecting on the practice in the pre-school. She uses the information gathered from parents and children with immense success to help shape services. For example, she is currently consulting with parents about the opening hours offered to extend the provision for children.  Staff provide high quality teaching and care which supports children to make excellent progress. For example, children are able to read and write by the time they leave the nursery.  Children have excellent opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, they learn how to carefully manipulate tweezers to move small items from one container to another.  The manager holds frequent meetings with the staff to continually review their excellent practice and highlight any further training needs. Staff have recently attended training which has enabled them to further extend the excellent support for children's

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This provision is outstanding

early writing skills.  Staff support children's practical life skills extraordinarily well. Children of all ages learn how to safely prepare their own snacks, pour drinks and dress themselves ready for outside play.  Staff work extremely well with the local authority. For example, they work together to assess the quality of teaching to maintain the very highest standards.

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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

 strengthen the already excellent resources on offer to support children's understanding of different languages even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in the main play areas and garden.  The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector gathered the views of the parents.  The inspector reviewed documents, including safeguarding policies and procedures and children's files.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns regarding children's welfare. The manager ensures that all staff have regular training to keep up to date with any changes to legislation. She regularly quizzes the staff on their understanding of child protection. Any new information triggers staff meetings to discuss what procedures to follow in the pre- school. Staff have excellent partnerships with parents, ensuring they are exceptionally involved in their children's learning. For example, staff invite parents into the pre-school to teach children about different cultural festivals and how to make the food they eat at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff make exceptional use of children's interests to plan exceedingly high quality activities. They complete comprehensive assessments which enable them to track children's development extremely well. The manager and staff monitor children's learning precisely and use the information gathered to quickly narrow any gaps in children's learning and development. Children work exceptionally well as a team during construction activities. They work together with staff to compare different-sized blocks. Staff help the children to learn new words and to enhance their already excellent mathematical development. For example, they use highly descriptive words, such as 'biggest', 'smallest', 'the same' and 'different'. At times, staff do not use resources to support children who speak English as an additional language to their full potential.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

All children are highly confident learners. They develop extremely high levels of independence. For instance, as soon as children have finished with an activity they tidy it up and put it away. Children are all exceptionally well behaved. They readily rush to help others who need help with lifting resources or picking up dropped items. Staff teach the children to keep themselves and others extremely safe. During the inspection, children learnt practical life skills. When one child spilt some water, they found the mop and cleaned it off the floor without prompting by staff.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop excellent skills for their future learning and are exceptionally well prepared for their move to school. They make excellent progress with their literacy skills. For example, children learn how to trace their fingers around sand letters and then use this to write letters in a sand tray. Most-able children use this skill to write their names on their work. Children of all capabilities develop excellent mathematical skills. They learn how to sequence numbers and to do simple sums.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 139923 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 1061436 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 - 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 19 Name of registered person Sue-Anne Cramer

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 December 2013 Telephone number 020 8763 6284

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reference number

Hillcrest Montessori Nursery School registered in 1999. The nursery operates from the community centre in Coulsdon, Surrey. The nursery is open three days a week during term times. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are three members of staff, including the manager, who work with the children. Of these, all three hold a recognised early years qualification at level 3 or above. 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

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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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