Blackwell Montessori Nursery

Blackwell Montessori Nursery Blackwell Methodist Church Hall, Greenhill Blackwell, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 1BL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 October 2017 17 January 2014

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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 quality of teaching is consistently good and on occasions outstanding, in particular during whole-group activities. Staff are highly skilled and creative in their approach to increase children's listening and attention skills.  Staff place an excellent focus on children developing high levels of cooperation and respect for others. Children are happy and confident.  Overall, staff provide a varied range of resources and experiences to capture children's curiosity and imagination, and children make good progress from their starting points.  Staff place a clear priority on increasing children's physical development. For example, staff offer children opportunities to increase their control and coordination, and to handle equipment and use tools as they access varied resources.  Staff have close working relationships with parents. They regularly consult parents and keep them up to date about nursery life, including how they can support their children's

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The manager does not incisively use the information gained from children's assessments to help her evaluate and identify where children's achievement could be raised even further to the highest level.  Staff do not consistently provide the most able children with a rich range of opportunities to explore music, such as rhythm, and to extend their adding, subtracting and estimating skills.

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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 sharply the information gained from children's assessments to help evaluate and identify where children's achievement can be raised to the highest level  provide a broad range of opportunities for children to explore their interest in music, and to develop their mathematical understanding of adding, subtracting and estimating.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the owner/manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the owner/manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager works alongside the staff and the whole team is enthusiastic about children's learning. There are effective systems in place to monitor staff performance, and the manager offers good support and guidance. Staff benefit from a robust induction process, ongoing staff supervision and training opportunities to help raise their skills and knowledge. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There are robust recruitment systems in place to suitably vet all employed staff and assess their ongoing suitability. All staff are trained in child protection issues and know the procedure to follow if they have a concern about a child. The manager places a clear priority on safeguarding issues. For example, staff supervision includes assessing their ongoing safeguarding knowledge. Parents report they are impressed by the progress their children make in their speaking and self-help skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff place a sharp focus on using the children's interests and changes in the natural environment, such as seasonal changes, as a secure base to help children learn. For example, staff skilfully encourage children to observe changes in the environment and promote discussion about what they can see. Staff know the children well and plan activities with a clear learning focus, such as teaching them about colour. For example, children delight in painting each hand in a different primary colours and rubbing their hands together to reveal the colour they have made. This sensory experience makes the experience fun and children show a real interest in learning. Staff place a good focus on listening to children, increasing their vocabulary and introducing new ideas and concepts as they play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff create a calm environment and children show high levels of control. For example, staff use group time extremely well to creatively teach children about the behaviour expectations. Staff encourage children to take responsibility. For example, children respond immediately to the tidy up song as they help put the resources back on the shelves. Staff provide good opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating, keeping safe and that exercise is good for their bodies. Children learn about the role of the emergency services, and enjoy outdoor play and the yoga classes provided.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress and acquire the key skills required in preparation for school. Children develop their independence, for example, during snack time, and confidently use tools, such as tweezers and hammers. They learn about diversity, such as race, culture and disability. They show a keen interest in other languages as they learn to speak French. Children show a real interest in letters of the alphabet and the sounds they represent, and numbers. For example, children thoroughly enjoy naming the objects in the box in relation to the letter of the week and counting in relation to the number of the week.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY466210 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 1102596 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 - 8 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Blackwell Montessori Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 January 2014 Telephone number 07732498980

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reference number

Blackwell Montessori Nursery re-registered in 2013. It operates from the Methodist Church Hall in the village of Blackwell, Bromsgrove. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, with the exception of Wednesdays, from 8am until 6pm. The holiday club runs one week at Easter and for three weeks over the summer holidays from 8am to 5pm, each weekday, except on a Wednesday. There are four staff who work directly with the children, of whom all hold an early years qualification at level 3. The nursery follows the Montessori educational philosophy.

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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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