The Old School House Montessori Nursery

The Old School House Montessori Nursery The Old School House, De Montfort Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1SP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 November 2016 26 March 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 managerial team is exceptionally enthusiastic and its continuous ambition for improvement is reflected in all aspects of the setting. It leads an enthusiastic team who work extremely hard to make continuous improvements to children's outcomes.  Staff use Montessori teaching methods extremely effectively. They build on children's own ideas in play extremely well and consistently encourage them to think and solve problems. Children make excellent progress from their starting points in learning.  The manager and staff work together extremely closely to monitor children's development. They ensure that all children make consistently high rates of progress and any gaps in learning are acted on immediately such as through individual learning plans. This fully supports all groups of children including those with additional needs.  Staff are extremely nurturing and attentively meet all children's needs. They act as

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This provision is outstanding

excellent role models and children behave exceptionally well. Staff consistently use exemplary methods to encourage children to be respectful and considerate of others.  Staff provide parents with extensive support. They continuously share children's next steps in learning and actively encourage parents to contribute their children's achievements from home. Parents are completely engaged in their children's learning.

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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 existing opportunities to support children's understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching practices and the impact on children's learning.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector read some of the setting's documentation including the safeguarding policy and procedures.  The inspector sampled children's development information and records.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and held discussions about children's learning and progress.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager supervises the staff extremely closely and recognises individual skills. She supports staff to reflect on their work and coaches them to support children's learning. They have made significant improvements to help raise their practice to an outstanding level. For example, they introduced a new online system for assessing children's development. Staff make expert use of assessments to help provide the highest levels of challenge to all children. The manager precisely identifies areas to improve such as to offer even further support for children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. Safeguarding is effective. All staff receive high levels of training to help develop their excellent understanding of how to deal with any child protection concerns. Staff are thoroughly inducted and vigilant systems are in place to help to ensure that all staff are suitable.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff provide an extremely welcoming and well-planned environment. There are inspiring opportunities and resources for play, exploration and discovery. For example, children excitedly took part in an experiment, mixing vinegar and soda. Staff encouraged children to predict what might happen and they enthusiastically tested their ideas. Staff support children's early literacy skills exceptionally well. For example, young children delighted in acting out scenes from stories. They used puppets and props to help staff tell the story, and excitedly discussed what might happen next. Staff build excellent links with local schools and encourage thorough information sharing to help support children's move.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff value children's achievements highly and children develop an excellent sense of self- esteem. Children are exceptionally happy, secure and independent. They thrive on responsibilities, such as helping to prepare their snacks, from an extremely early age. Children are very physically active and thoroughly enjoy exploring the inspiring and exceptionally well-equipped outdoor area. They benefit from exciting opportunities for exercise such as daily 'music and movement' sessions. Children develop excellent social skills and work extremely well together, enthusiastically including each other in their play.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children show high levels of curiosity, for example babies showed fascination as they explored the different textures of spaghetti. Children have excellent early literacy skills and are beginning to sound out simple words. They have an impressive mathematical understanding and extremely confidently count and compare quantities. Children pay exceptional attention to detail, such as during creative activities, and show great control, for example, when using scissors and tying knots. Children delight in working things out for themselves and rapidly gain the skills needed for their next stages in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY241373 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1061676 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person The Old School House Nursery (Lewes) Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2013 Telephone number 01273 480492

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reference number

The Old School House Montessori Nursery registered in 2003. It operates in Lewes, East Sussex. It is open between 7.45am and 6pm each weekday, all year round. The setting employs 13 staff; of whom, one holds qualified teacher status, two are qualified at level 4, four at level 3 and six at level 2. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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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