The Oval Montessori Nursery

Inspection of The Oval Montessori Nursery In Vauxhall Park, Fentiman Road, LONDON SW8 1PU

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is inadequate

The provider, who is also the manager, has failed to meet several requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), including those relating to safeguarding, staff suitability, learning and development. Overall, this has a significant impact on children's care and learning. Children play with high-quality resources. However, children have limited opportunities to explore the range of resources available. During free play, most children choose an activity and complete it independently, often playing alone. Sometimes, staff stop children from playing with a resource of their choice if they do not play with it in a specific way or if staff feel they are 'not ready' yet. This limits children's opportunities to follow their own interests and become independent learners.

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The provision is inadequate

There is plenty of space, both inside and in the garden, for children to develop their physical skills. Children know the daily routine well. However, there are no arrangements in place to meet the needs of children who require additional support to take part in the routine or activities. This means some children are not consistently engaged in meaningful play and learning. The nursery is quiet and calm. Staff speak gently to children to explain expected behaviour, such as when a child takes a toy from another child. Consequently, children behave well. They learn to respect each other and the adults who care for them.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure staff understand the nursery's safeguarding policy or the procedures to follow when there are concerns about children's welfare. Staff are unsure what they should do if an allegation is made about them or another member of staff. This lack of knowledge means staff may fail to take appropriate and timely action if children are at risk of harm. n All staff have undertaken child protection training. However, they do not know about wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty and female genital mutilation. The provider does not ensure that training is effective and that staff's knowledge remains current. As a result, staff may fail to identify signs of abuse at the earliest possible opportunity. This compromises children's welfare. n The provider has not made appropriate arrangements for staff's supervision. Staff communicate well together throughout the session and are supportive of

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need to do better?

each other. However, staff do not get an opportunity for individual support to discuss further training or sensitive issues in confidence. This limits staff's ability to improve their teaching practice and promote children's interests. n The provider fails to maintain records evidencing that staff are suitable to work with children, such as vetting processes and criminal records checks. She does not have systems in place to ensure staff's suitability information and personal information is current. For example, the provider has not recorded updated

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need to do better?

21 November 2019 staff's home addresses and checked whether there are any changes in circumstances that may affect staff's suitability to work with children. This means children's safety and welfare cannot be assured. n The key-person system is ineffective. Staff do not gather as much information as they could when children start at the nursery. Staff miss opportunities to learn more about children, their home life and their interests, from the beginning. As a result, staff are slow to identify areas of concern, speak to parents and provide timely referrals to specialist agencies so that appropriate support can be given to children, promptly. n Children develop independence skills in readiness for school. Staff encourage children to put on their coats and shoes to go outside. A low table contains items which allow children to take responsibility for their own self-care. Children pour their own water when they want a drink. If they spill it, they clean up using

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need to do better?

a cloth. Children learn to look after themselves and the nursery. n Staff do not plan effectively to support the needs and interests of individual children. For instance, staff expect all children to engage with a long singing and story time. As the session progresses, children lose interest and wander away. Staff do not consider the suitability of this activity for the youngest children or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff do not adapt the activity effectively to help children remain engaged with the curriculum. n Parents state they are satisfied with the care that staff provide for their children at the nursery and that their children are happy to attend. However, staff do not consistently share detailed information with parents about their children's development to further support their progress at home. n The quality of teaching is variable. Staff focus on helping children finish set tasks

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need to do better?

to completion and this helps some children to develop the concentration skills needed for future learning. However, there are missed opportunities for staff to follow children's interests. For example, children choose an activity where the purpose is to divide objects into items that float and those that sink. When children begin playing with the items in their own creative ways and want to talk about the individual items, staff remind them to complete the task. Staff do not consider why the child chose the resource in the first place, and how they are playing with the activity, to learn about their interests and extend their learning further. n Staff speak clearly to children and model language effectively. Most children can speak confidently to adults and respond to instructions. However, staff are not ambitious enough for those children who are behind in their speaking abilities. Some children sit quietly for long periods of time without interaction from staff

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need to do better?

or their peers. This means some children are not developing their early language skills or the confidence to communicate in a range of situations as well as they could. n Children have opportunities to learn about cultures other than their own. Children learn about the world, where people come from, and what it is like in other countries, through books and cultural celebrations. They learn about similarities and differences. Children demonstrate respect and tolerance towards each other.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider and her team do not have enough knowledge and understanding of child protection to be able to identify concerns and safeguard children. They do not have an appropriate understanding of wider safeguarding issues to keep children safe, such as the government's statutory guidance for the 'Prevent' duty and female genital mutilation. Staff do not know the correct procedures to follow should an allegation be made against them. Recruitment records, including vetting processes, information about staff and criminal records checks, are incomplete. The provider does not check the ongoing suitability of staff. These breaches in the requirements of the EYFS compromise children's safety and welfare.

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge of the nursery's child protection policies and procedures, including the correct procedures to follow should there be an allegation against a member of staff or safeguarding concern about a child 15/01/2020

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Due date

ensure staff understand their responsibilities with regard to child protection, including wider safeguarding issues such as the 'Prevent' duty and female genital mutilation 15/01/2020

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Due date

make appropriate supervision arrangements to identify individual staff's training needs and provide the support required to promote the development and interests of children so they make the best possible progress 15/01/2020

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Due date

put systems in place to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children when they start their employment and for the duration of their employment at the nursery 15/01/2020

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Due date

21 November 2019 ensure records, such as those relating to criminal records checks and contact details of individual staff members, are easily accessible 15/01/2020

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Due date

ensure key persons consider children's individual needs and interests, and work with parents to support children's development in the nursery and at home 15/01/2020

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Due date

engage proactively with parents to help them swiftly access more specialist support when concerns about children's development are identified 15/01/2020

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Due date

respond to children's individual interests through a mix of child-initiated and adult-led play that allows children to explore their own ideas 15/01/2020

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Due date

make appropriate arrangements to ensure children with additional learning needs or SEND have access to high- quality experiences that support their interests and stage of development. 15/01/2020

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY225655 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 10128403 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 3 to 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Norwood, Louise

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reference number

Telephone number 0207 735 4816 Date of previous inspection 10 June 2015

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Information about this early years setting

The Oval Montessori Nursery registered in 2002. It operates from a single-storey building in Vauxhall Park in the London Borough of Lambeth. The nursery is open term time only, from 9am to 12.30pm on Mondays and Fridays, and from 9am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The nursery offers funded education sessions for children age three and four years. There are three members of staff, two of whom hold appropriate Montessori diplomas.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector checked evidence of safeguarding procedures, the suitability of staff and other required records. n Parents spoke to the inspector about their experience of the nursery, and the inspector considered their views. n The inspector held discussions with the provider and staff team throughout the inspection. n The provider showed the inspector around the nursery. They discussed how staff plan the experiences and opportunities on offer. n The inspector spoke to children and observed the interactions between staff and children. n The provider and the inspector evaluated the effectiveness of an activity together.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

21 November 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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