Cherry Tree Montessori Ltd

Cherry Tree Montessori Ltd 3 Lacon Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 9HE

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 March 2018 2 December 2016

p.1

3

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

p.1

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

 Key persons do not continually build on parent partnership and fully support all opportunities for them to share information about what their children achieve at home.  Observation, assessment and planning for children's learning is not fully effective in supporting staff to focus teaching as precisely as possible. In addition, the manager does not always provide targeted support to individual staff to help them improve their personal effectiveness and teaching practice.  Some routines are not organised well enough to fully support children's uninterrupted learning and play.  Self-evaluation is not fully effective to identify all weaknesses to practice and provision.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff provide interesting opportunities for children to build on their understanding of the world. For instance, they teach them about the lifecycle of mini beasts and provide them opportunities to observe wildlife in the natural environment.  Older children build on their independence. For instance, staff encourage them to get their coats and shoes on by themselves before going outdoors to play.  Children build on their physical skills. For instance, older children explore the climbing frame and younger children enjoy passing a ball to each other. Staff provide them with regular opportunities to exercise in fresh air, which helps to support their good health.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that key persons continually build on parent partnership and share information about children's learning 30/03/2018

p.2

Due Date

 improve observation, assessment and planning to target educational programmes to support children to make consistently good progress 30/03/2018

p.2

Due Date

 provide targeted support to individual staff to fully address inconsistencies in the quality of teaching practice. 30/03/2018

p.2

Due Date

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

p.2

Due Date

 review and improve the organisation of routines to help minimise interruptions to children's play and learning  make better use of ongoing self-evaluation to identify and address all areas of weak practice effectively.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and how staff interacted with them.  The inspector viewed a sample of documents, including children's learning records.  The inspector held a joint observation with the manager and assessed the effectiveness of staff training, support and skills.  The inspector took account of the views of staff, parents and children.  The inspector held discussions with the manager at appropriate times.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has not fully developed the key-person system to ensure that there is a regular two-way flow of information between parents and staff. Although the manager observes teaching practice regularly and provides staff with some feedback, she does not always support their professional development fully effectively. She does not review the provision well enough to identify and address all weaknesses. Nevertheless, she has made some improvements based on the recommendations raised previously, such as opportunities for children to explore outdoors. Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures that staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding guidelines. Staff, including those who are unqualified, understand the setting's policies and procedures. For instance, they are aware of the policy in relation to the use of mobile phones and the no-smoking policy within the premises. They understand how to refer child protection issues.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff do not ensure that planning is continually precise. At times, teaching practice is not focused well enough on the next steps in individual children's learning. For instance, staff do not always provide alternative choices for children who do not wish to participate in group activities. Staff do not always consider further ways to fully support children's creativity, for instance, during arts and crafts activities. Staff miss some opportunities to organise routines effectively. For example, occasionally, children who are awake play in the same room as sleeping children, which does not help to fully support their individual experiences effectively. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from effective partnerships between the manager, professionals and other settings to which they transfer.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Although, overall, children settle well, some parents are not fully updated of the key- person arrangements at the setting. The manager was not aware that some parents are unable to access the online information that staff provide about their children's time at the setting. The manager ensures that there are adequate staff and they are deployed well to supervise children effectively and ensure their safety. Staff meet children's individual and dietary needs, and support children's health and hygiene, for instance, they ensure the premises are clean. They provide opportunities for younger and older children to have their meals together, which helps to support opportunities for them to interact with each other.

p.3

Outcomes for children require improvement

Children do not make the best possible progress as parent partnership is not strong enough to fully support continuity in their learning experiences. Nevertheless, children develop some skills that help to prepare them for future learning. Young children learn to share resources, for instance, they learn to wait for their turn to crawl through the tunnel. Older children build self-confidence, for instance, they come forward to sing a song of their choice to the group.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 107631 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 1132648 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 30 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Cherry Tree Montessori Limited

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 December 2016 Telephone number 020 8693 8174

p.4

reference number

Cherry Tree Montessori Ltd opened in 1996 and is privately owned. It is situated in East Dulwich within the London Borough of Southwark. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays. The setting employs nine members of staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications, including two who hold early years professional status. The setting operates in line with the Montessori educational philosophy and receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5