Fairmile Montessori School

Fairmile Montessori School 63 Queen's Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 5NF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 September 2017 15 January 2013

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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 leadership team has very high expectations for children who attend the setting. The progress of all children is held to the highest regard. For example, a recently introduced sensory room helps to support younger children during the settling-in period and also those who have special educational needs.  Staff have a good understanding of observing and assessing for children's individual needs. They use this information to plan precisely for their ongoing development and to help support their learning.  The staff are effective role models who use good behaviour management to help children to understand about how to manage their own feelings and play well with others. Children display lots of patience and cooperation in sharing and taking turns.  Staff fully involve parents in their children's progress. Staff regularly share good-quality information with parents and they are invited to arrange meetings at their convenience.

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This provision is good

 The staff provide a very caring and nurturing environment that helps to promote children's emotional well-being. Children settle quickly and build good bonds with staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The process of self-evaluation is not used as effectively as it could be. Parents' views are not consistently gathered and used to fully involve them in this important process.  Management does not make full use of its findings from the monitoring and observations of staff practice to help staff identify and raise the quality of their teaching.

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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

 explore more ways of involving parents in the self-evaluation process to raise all areas of the provision to the very highest level  develop the effectiveness of supervisions further to support and challenge staff to raise the quality of their teaching and continually improve the outcomes for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and activities indoors and outdoors, and the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with the staff and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, such as staff qualifications, suitability checks, policies and procedures, and accident and incident records.  The inspector had a tour of the setting and held a meeting with the management team.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Management ensures that staff have a secure understanding of their role and responsibility in protecting children in their care. Staff confidently explain the reporting procedures they would follow and how they would identify children at risk. Management uses good systems for tracking children's progress. It uses this information to quickly identify any gaps in learning and put appropriate systems in place to offer more support if required. Partnerships with other professionals are good. The management regularly shares information on children to prioritise their ongoing learning. The management is committed to supporting the professional development of its team. Staff attend training that helps them to keep their knowledge and understanding up to date. They involve themselves in lots of discussions in the weekly team meetings.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The quality of teaching is good. Staff create an environment where children can easily access resources and equipment, to promote their independence. Staff use the initial information they gather from parents to engage children in their learning, and they know the children very well. Staff help children to start to use their own critical-thinking skills, for example, as they try to use the tweezers to pick up small objects. Staff introduce early mathematics and literacy into children's learning. For instance, children make patterns with coloured pegs and count them or use their fingers to trace the sandpaper letters.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well. They show growing abilities in working well with others and are respectful towards their friends. Staff help to promote healthy lifestyles, such as through important discussions with children at snack and meal times. They help children to start to learn about risks and keeping themselves safe, for example, as they negotiate the stairs in the setting and learn about road safety when going outside to the garden area. Outdoors, children play with a good variety of resources that sparks their imaginary and sensory play. For instance, they play in the kitchen baking sand cakes or use chalk and water to make marks on the walls.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children form a good early understanding of the wider world, reinforced by the diverse team of staff and children who attend the setting. They enjoy many activities and experiences that help them to fully explore the differences and similarities in themselves and others, and to celebrate their own languages and cultures. Children are motivated and engaged in their learning. They are independent and self-assured in their own abilities and choices in their play. All children develop well from their initial starting points and they are gaining all the necessary skills they require for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY338054 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 1062012 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 34 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Annie McNally

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 January 2013 Telephone number 0137 246 9500

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reference number

Fairmile Montessori School is privately owned. It was established in 1990 and moved to its current premises in 2006. It is situated in Hersham, Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. The school follows the Montessori teaching ethos. It is open on Monday and Friday from 9am to midday, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 3pm, during term time only. There are six members of staff. Of these, one holds an early years degree at level 6, three hold international Montessori qualifications, and one staff member holds an early years qualification at level 3. The school 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

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