Elms Montessori School & Day Nursery

Elms Montessori School & Day Nursery 2 Elm Lane, Lower Earley, Berkshire, RG6 5UF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 July 2018 Not applicable

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 Recruitment and vetting procedures are weak. The provider has recruited new staff members without taking thorough steps to check their suitability, including carrying out additional checks for staff who have lived abroad, as required.  The provider does not ensure that the setting's safeguarding policy accurately reflects the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures.  Teaching is inconsistent and does not support all children to make good progress. Staff fail to gather sufficient information on children's learning or make accurate assessments. The progress check for some children aged between two and three years has not been completed or shared with parents.  The provider does not effectively monitor the provision, staff's practice or the implementation of the setting's procedures in order to meet the legal requirements successfully.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff support children's care needs sufficiently well and provide children with healthy meals and snacks.

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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

 establish effective recruitment and vetting arrangements to ensure that all required suitability checks, including additional checks when staff have lived or worked abroad, are completed when employing new staff 31/07/2018

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Due Date

 implement a policy, and procedures to safeguard children, that is in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant Local Safeguarding Children Board that includes an explanation of the action to be taken when there are safeguarding concerns about a child 31/07/2018

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Due Date

 ensure children's developmental assessments, including the progress check at age two years, accurately identify children's developmental starting points and staff use these effectively to plan for the next steps in children's learning 11/09/2018

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Due Date

 plan challenging and enjoyable experiences that take full account of each child's individual needs, interests and stage of development, to promote good progress in their learning, particularly in communication and language in the younger age ranges 11/09/2018

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Due Date

 monitor the educational programmes and quality of teaching effectively to identify and target weaker aspects of children's learning, including areas where children may be slow to develop key skills, so they are supported to catch up. 11/09/2018

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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

 develop an effective monitoring system to identify and address breaches of requirements and any other areas for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation of teaching with the provider/manager.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. The provider shows a poor understanding of her responsibilities to ensure staff's suitability to work with children and does not follow her own recruitment policy. For example, she does not gather sufficient information from staff's previous employers or complete robust checks for those staff who have moved from abroad. Despite these failings, the provider does ensure that she obtains Disclosure and Barring Service checks for all staff. Staff have a suitable understanding of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They adequately identify risks to the children and take steps to minimise these. Current systems for monitoring the provision are ineffective in identifying weaknesses. Despite attending training for her lead role in safeguarding, the provider is ineffective in her role. She has not updated the setting's safeguarding policy for some time and this contains out-of-date information, which may lead to a delay if staff

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

need to report a concern. In addition, at inspection it was noted that the mobile phone policy was not robustly implemented and that staff also fail to keep an accurate record of children's attendance. The provider took steps to rectify these breaches on the day. Arrangements for the monitoring of staff's performance are not focused sufficiently on helping staff improve their support for children. For example, weaknesses in teaching and staff's use of assessment to plan and provide suitably challenging activities for children are not effective. Until recently, the provider has not understood her responsibility to provide parents with the required progress check for children aged between two and three years, and this has not been shared with some families. The provider has recently recruited new staff, who are suitably deployed across the nursery to ensure children's safety, including at sleep times.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff fail to use their qualifications and experience to tailor activities to meet children's individual needs across the setting consistently. They do not determine a starting point for children's learning accurately, or identify and plan for children's next steps in learning successfully. The quality of teaching in the younger age range does not support children to make the progress of which they are capable. For example, children with identified speech delay and those who speak English as an additional language do not get good- quality attention to help them do well in areas, such as speaking. In addition, staff show a weak understanding of planning for the individual needs of these children. For example, staff expect young children to sit for long periods during an additional language class, despite some children indicating they do not want to take part. However, in the older age room, staff suitably engage in children's learning. They encourage children to identify

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

letter sounds and support them to identify and follow shape patterns, such as through a threading activity.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in safeguarding practice compromise children's welfare. Nevertheless, most children appear settled and some build close relationships with staff. Staff generally manage children's behaviour well, such as through some reminders to share toys. However, there are few opportunities for younger children to develop their independence as staff complete tasks that they are able to do for themselves, such as putting on their shoes. Outside in the garden, staff provide limited purposeful support or encouragement for young children's learning. For example, staff supervise children as they ride vehicles up and down the garden, and only intervene to support children when they ride into their friends. However children do enjoy activities, such as water play on a warm day, although the teaching overall lacks suitable challenge for children's learning.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children, in particular those in the toddler-age range, are working below typical levels for their age and, over time in this room, are not catching up quickly enough. They do not yet show good levels of development in areas, such as speaking and independence. Despite this, older children are developing some of the skills they need for the next stage in their learning. They receive better support for their language skills, including those children who speak English as an additional language. Younger children are content and show curiosity as they explore. However, opportunities for the youngest babies are limited, such as support for their physical skills, as teaching does not meet their needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537446 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 1140761 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Swans Day Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01184676743

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reference number

Elms Montessori School & Day Nursery registered in 2016. The nursery opens each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. There are 10 members of staff, seven of whom have full and relevant, recognised qualifications, including the owner/manager. The nursery is in receipt of 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

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

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