Rottingdean Montessori Nursery School

Rottingdean Montessori Nursery School The Village Hall, Park Road, Rottingdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 7HL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 September 2017 21 May 2015

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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 well-qualified manager and enthusiastic staff team effectively use the Montessori teaching method and support children's learning well. They provide a challenging and stimulating environment and consistently encourage children to lead their own play and learning. Children are well motivated and make good progress from their developmental starting points.  Staff are calm and positive role models for children and sensitively remind them of their high expectations. Children respond well to this and behave very well. They are respectful of the resources and show consideration for others. For example, they carefully reset their activity trays and put them back on the shelf after they finish, so they are ready for the next child.  The experienced manager leads by example and supports her staff well. She regularly observes their practice and offers them guidance, support and further training. They make continuous improvements to the quality of children's care and learning to help

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently involve parents in sharing what their children achieve at home, to support children's learning even further.  The manager does not fully monitor and track the progress that groups of children make, to identify and address any gaps in their 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

 strengthen further the shared approach to children's learning and development  make greater use of the monitoring processes, to fully support the progress that groups of children make in their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching practices and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector read some of the nursery 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 discussed children's play, learning and progress.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager and staff evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery well and identify areas to improve. For example, they have strengthened children's physical play opportunities. Children enjoy exploring challenging climbing equipment and learn to manage risks positively in a safe environment. Staff have also improved children's outdoor experiences. For instance, children now enjoy growing various plants and vegetables and learning about how things grow and change over time. After recent training, the manager has changed the dressing-up clothes for children. For example, she has added a wider variety of clothing and material to support all children's creativity further. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff attend regular safeguarding training. They have a thorough understanding of how to deal with and report any child protection concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff assess children's individual stages of development accurately. They observe children closely and record their achievements in the various Montessori activities provided, identifying appropriate further challenges. For example, after children shred a bar of soap with a cheese grater, staff encourage them to extend this activity further. Children enjoy filling a jug with water, pouring it into the bowl of soap and whisking until it foams. Staff extend children's mathematical skills well during child-initiated activities. For example, as children arrange wooden blocks, staff encourage them to count and compare the blocks according to size. Staff provide plenty of exciting opportunities for children to make marks and develop their early writing skills. For instance, children explore shaving foam with paintbrushes and draw in coloured sand with their fingers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are very confident and independent. They happily take control of their own learning and enjoy responsibilities. For example, children enthusiastically prepare fruit for their healthy snack and wash up their plates when they have finished. Children are physically active and enjoy regular outdoor play and exercise. For example, they ride scooters confidently and enjoy spinning large hoops around their bodies. Staff are very supportive and attentive to children's needs and build strong bonds with them. Children are happy and secure, and know to ask for help if needed. Staff support children's physical and emotional well-being effectively.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are well-motivated learners, who quickly develop the skills they need for the next stages in their learning and for school. They are willing to try new experiences and enthusiastically attempt unfamiliar and challenging activities. Children communicate confidently and use speech well to make friends, guide their play and express themselves. They happily talk about their home lives, such as what they did over the summer holiday. Children develop good skills for early writing, for example when threading string through holes in card. They are imaginative and cooperate well together as they initiate and act out familiar scenarios in their play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 130764 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 1089426 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 24 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Teresa Elliott

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 21 May 2015 Telephone number 07801133592

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reference number

Rottingdean Montessori Nursery School registered in 1993. It operates from the village hall in Rottingdean, East Sussex. The nursery is open between 9am and 1pm each weekday, during term time only. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs three members of staff, two of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications, one at level 5 and the other at level 3.

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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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