Willow Tree Montessori Kindergarten

Willow Tree Montessori School 80 Lumley Road, HORLEY, Surrey RH6 7JL

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Inspection date 13 December 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This is a provision that requires improvement

n Planning for younger children is weak. Staff do not effectively use children's interests or next steps in development to guide their planning. They do not consistently provide babies with sufficient and age-appropriate challenge to support their good progress. n The quality of staff's interactions with children and the effectiveness of the learning environments are variable. The provision for younger children is poor. Staff working with younger children do not manage routines effectively and, too often, babies do not engage well in play, becoming bored, which has a negative impact on their learning. n The manager does not provide effective supervision, support or guidance for staff to raise the quality of practice to a consistently good level. She has not tackled weaker aspects of staff's knowledge or teaching practice. n The manager does not monitor the progress that specific groups of children make in

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This is a provision that requires improvement

their learning to help raise children's outcomes to a consistently good level. n Self-evaluation is weak. The manager has not identified where improvements are required.

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It has the following strengths

n Staff are positive and calm. They get to know children well and help them to form positive relationships. Older children are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. n The well-qualified manager and staff use the Montessori teaching method effectively to support pre-school children's learning well. They provide a stimulating environment for older children and consistently encourage them to lead their own play and learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve planning for younger children to include children's interests and next steps in development and offer appropriate levels of challenge to support good outcomes 01/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure staff interact effectively with young children, identifying when children need further support to engage in and enjoy play and supporting each child's emotional well-being, and provide a stimulating, age-appropriate environment that supports their learning well 01/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

address weaknesses in staff's practice and implement an effective programme of professional development to help staff continually improve their teaching skills and personal effectiveness. 01/01/2019

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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

n monitor the progress children make more precisely to help support specific groups of children further and raise children's outcomes to at least a good level n make effective use of self-evaluation to identify and address weaknesses quickly.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed teaching practices and the impact on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents. n The inspector read some of the setting's documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures. n The inspector sampled children's development information and records. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and discussed children's play, learning and progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

There are weaknesses in the leadership and management of the nursery. The manager has not dedicated enough time to monitoring the quality of staff's practice and of care and learning for the younger children. This has led to a drop in standards which has had a negative impact on the experiences for the youngest children. The manager provides staff with support meetings, but these are not used effectively to identify weaknesses and drive improvements. Although support for staff's professional development and the self-evaluation of the nursery is not fully effective, the manager has made some positive changes. For example, she has improved partnerships with parents and introduced new communication diaries for staff and parents to share information about children's learning and well-being. Staff do access some further training, such as to support the early language development of children. Although the manager has an overall

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

understanding of children's development, she does not look for any differences in the achievements of groups of children, such as boys and girls, to help identify where further support may be needed. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff receive regular child protection training and can identify the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the procedures to refer any concern and follow thorough polices and procedures.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff do not know how to meet the developmental needs of babies fully. They do not plan effectively for their learning and their playroom often does not have enough activities or resources to help children engage in meaningful play and learning. On the day of inspection, there was a half-hour time period where there were no toys out for the children, apart from fancy dress clothes, and the children's activity table was left empty. Subsequently, the youngest children wandered around aimlessly, showing strong signs of boredom, and staff failed to provide appropriate experiences to interest and engage them. However, staff support pre-school children well. They observe and assess their learning closely and provide challenging and stimulating play based on their interests. Older children enjoy creating Christmas decorations and staff encourage plenty of conversation as children describe their creations and develop their own ideas.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff do not support younger children's emotional well-being effectively and some children do not enjoy a variety of play. Staff do not quickly notice when children need further support to help them engage in play and, at times, children are distracted and bored. Staff fail to manage routines successfully. For example, babies are put into highchairs for snack time, ten minutes before being given any food. They have to sit and wait for long periods of time with nothing to do and become very unsettled and agitated. Staff support children's healthy lifestyles well. Children enjoy nutritious meals and plenty of physical play in the well-resourced outdoor area. Babies walk from an early age and older children use scooters and bicycles skilfully, showing good coordination. Pre-school children behave well and form positive early friendships. They play happily together and share easily, such as passing each other the pieces they need to help build structures.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Not all children make as much progress as they could in their learning. Poor planning and support for babies mean that their individual needs are not effectively met. They do not consistently engage in age-appropriate and stimulating play and do not reach their full potential. However, older children are inquisitive, motivated and eager learners. They communicate confidently and share their ideas well. Children count confidently as they play and develop positive imaginary play, such as pretending to fix parts of the nursery with toy toolkits. They enjoy stories and eagerly discuss what might happen next and why. Pre-school children are developing the skills needed in preparation for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY501562 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10057122 Type of provision Full day care Registers Early Years Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Willow Tree Montessori Kindergarten Limited

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Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01293 820721

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Willow Tree Montessori School registered in 2016. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are four members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or 4.

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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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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