Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd

Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd Cuton Hall Lane, Springfield, CHELMSFORD, CM2 5PX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 February 2018 Not applicable

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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 key-person system is not effective in the pre-school rooms. This means that staff cannot tailor activities to children's individual learning needs.  Staff do not regularly receive effective feedback and guidance on how they can develop their practice and teaching skills, to help all children make good progress from their starting points.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff provide a stimulating and welcoming environment. They complete daily checks on the premises to ensure that all areas used by the children are safe and suitable. Staff supervise children well. They manage unwanted behaviour sensitively and encourage children to share and take turns with popular toys and resources.  The provider follows rigorous recruitment procedures for any new staff, which includes a strong selection process, to help to ensure that staff are suitable for their role.  Partnerships with parents are friendly and trusting. Staff keep parents well informed about their children's day and encourage them to remain involved in their children's learning, in the setting and at home. Parents are very complimentary of the setting. They value the online learning system and comment that they would happily recommend the setting to others.  Children of all ages are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. They choose what

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It has the following strengths

they want to do and when. Older children make friends and enjoy their play together.

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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

 ensure an effective key-person system is in place for all children, particularly in the pre-school rooms, to meet children's individual learning and care needs to help them to make good progress. 12/03/2018

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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

 provide all staff with effective feedback and guidance on how they can develop their practice, to improve the quality of teaching and help all children to make good progress from their starting points.

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of the risk assessment process following information we received about this provider.  The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspectors spoke with children and staff during the inspection. They completed joint observations with the setting manager.  The inspectors held a meeting with the setting manager and the providers. They looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.  The inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The providers ensure that staff have annual appraisals, regular supervisory meetings, and attend specific training. Some staff have worked hard to improve planning and the quality of their observations. However, there has been less emphasis on staff teaching practice to provide good-quality learning opportunities for all children. The manager uses effective methods to monitor all children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning and development. She works in partnership with other professionals to support children who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff fully understand their responsibility to keep children safe. They are confident about the action to take if they have any concerns a child may be at risk of harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The key-person system is not effective in the pre-school rooms. This means that not all staff working with the older children know them well enough to plan for their individual learning needs. Quieter children are not getting sufficient challenge to ensure they are making good progress in readiness for school. In addition, staff do not ensure that routine group activities meet the needs of all children in the setting. Staff do however, play alongside children. They effectively promote children's communication skills. For example, they repeat words back and use simple signs. Children enjoy sensory activities. For instance, they explore shaving foam, cocoa powder, cornflour and oats with their hands. Staff in the baby room support children well to practise their early walking skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff are friendly and support children to settle well when they first arrive. They maintain ratios, are appropriately deployed and attend to children's care needs, such as wiping children's noses, whenever needed. However, due to recent changes in staff, children in the pre-school rooms do not yet have a named key person, to help ensure that their individual learning needs are fully met. Children of all ages have daily opportunities for fresh air. They enjoy being active in the outdoor area. This helps to promote their health and supports their physical well-being. Children learn about healthy practices, such as handwashing before eating. They experience sociable mealtimes and enjoy a broad range of nutritious snacks and healthy meals. Children learn about each other's similarities and differences, other cultures and ways of life outside of their own experiences.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children do not yet make good enough progress because the quality of teaching and activities planned is not consistently effective. They develop some key skills in readiness for the next stage of learning, including their move on to school. For example, children are becoming more independent and enjoy opportunities to take responsibility for small tasks, such as pouring drinks. Children of all ages freely access books and enjoy sharing them with staff. Older children listen well to stories. They point to and make suggestions about the pictures. Some children are keen to identify, and learn to write their name.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY542373 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1124972 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 119 Number of children on roll 216 Name of registered person Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07970685529

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reference number

Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd registered in 2016. It is one of two settings run by the same organisation. The setting employs 29 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including one with qualified teacher status. The setting opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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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

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

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