Clacton Montessori Day Nursery & Preschool

Pebbles Private Kindergarten Ltd 22 Thoroughgood Road, CLACTON-ON-SEA, Essex, CO15 6DD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 August 2017 19 August 2013

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The manager does not provide children with a wide range of opportunities to extend their mathematical and literacy development consistently, particularly for those children who prefer to play and learn outside.  Staff do not make the most of opportunities to interact with children to help extend their interests, ideas and learning. Children’s progress is not fully supported.  Staff do not make effective use of opportunities to fully support children’s social skills.  The ongoing self-evaluation process does not precisely identify all aspects of staff practice and the environment which require further improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff share a wide range of information with parents to help involve them in their children’s learning effectively. Parents are happy with their children’s progress and care.  The manager meets with staff individually to discuss their practice and encourages them to undertake training to help improve their knowledge. For example, staff complete online courses to learn about updates on safeguarding practice and guidance.  Extensive partnerships with other professionals help to ensure that children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those at risk of harm, are identified and supported effectively. Staff and the manager attend meetings and work closely with professionals, such as health visitors and social workers, to provide children and their families with the necessary support.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 improve the range of opportunities for children to extend their mathematical and literacy skills, particularly for children who prefer to learn outside 29/09/2017

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Due Date

 support staff to improve their interactions with children to consistently make the most of opportunities to engage, challenge and extend their thinking. 29/09/2017

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 make more effective use of opportunities to develop children’s social skills  consider ways to make greater use of ongoing self-evaluation to precisely analyse strengths and weaknesses and to help raise outcomes for children to a higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the interactions between staff and the children.  The inspector spoke to children, staff, parents and the management.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager, and held a discussion regarding children's learning and their progress.  The inspector checked evidence of staff's qualifications, suitability checks and relevant policies and procedures.  The inspector sampled children's learning records, including the progress check for children aged between two and three, observations and assessments.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The staff team and management have undergone some significant changes. There is a new management structure. The manager, who is also the provider, works hard to share her ideas and vision with the staff. Recommendations set at the previous inspection have been partially addressed. For example, there have been improvements to the support for children to develop their understanding of the world, such as learning how to grow vegetables. However, children do not have a sufficiently wide range of opportunities that help to support their mathematical and literacy development. Safeguarding is effective. Staff and the manager know how to identify when children are at risk of harm and how to report any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff do not consistently develop and extend children’s learning. For example, they miss opportunities to interact with children when playing alongside them. Staff observe and assess children’s progress. They regularly monitor the progress of individuals and groups of children, helping to identify areas where they need support to catch up. Staff create flexible plans that help to provide children with activities that generally cover what they need to learn next and their interests. Older children enjoy including staff in their role-play games. For example, they use real bandages, which they wrap enthusiastically around staff’s legs, arms and heads. Younger children watch with interest as staff pour rice through their hands, and try to count while staff stack bricks to form small towers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff respond warmly to children. Younger children settle down to sleep quickly, while staff help toddlers to put on aprons before playing in the water tray. However, staff miss opportunities to help children develop their social skills. For example, when children sit at the table for lunch, staff stand behind them rather than use the opportunity to fully engage with children. Staff liaise with teachers and staff working at other settings that children attend, which helps to share information about children’s stages of learning and care routines. The manager makes effective use of additional funding to meet children’s specific needs. Parents come into the nursery to share their family cultures and festivals with children to help them learn about the differences and similarities between themselves and others.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children do not consistently make the best possible progress due to the weaknesses in teaching. However, they develop some skills to help prepare them for school. For example, older children dress themselves in school uniform independently. Younger children recognise when they are thirsty and help themselves to drinks. Children are encouraged to voice their opinions. For example, when possible candidates attend trial sessions, children readily share their views and thoughts about the candidate and how enjoyable the activity was.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY461712 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1066850 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 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Pebbles Private Kindergarten LTD

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 August 2013 Telephone number 01255433339

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reference number

Pebbles Private Kindergarten Ltd re-registered in 2013 and is managed by a limited company. The nursery is located in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. There are 18 members of staff. Of these, 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The manager holds early years practitioner status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children, and to provide the early years pupil premium.

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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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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