Stoneygate Montessori Nursery

Inspection of Stoneygate Montessori Nursery 279 London Road, Leicester LE2 3BE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

The quality of the interactions between staff and children is not consistently good. Staff working with babies and younger children do not know the learning intentions for all the children. Some staff do not make effective use of the activities and their interactions to challenge the learning of babies and younger children. As a result, some babies and younger children wander from one play resource to another without becoming fully engaged or motivated in their play. They are not consistently helped to make good progress in their learning, in particular for speaking.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff have high expectations for older children's learning. Pre-school children have a positive attitude towards their learning. For example, pre-school children have great fun exploring with torches. They concentrate very well as they participate in games and activities that develop their memory and imaginations. However, at times, staff working with pre-school children do not tell each other, or the children, what they are planning to do next. Sometimes, activities end abruptly and without warning. This interrupts children's play and enjoyment.

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, most children show that they feel happy and secure. They behave well as they follow staff's instructions, such as helping to tidy up when asked. Babies and younger children sleep soundly when they are tired and confidently engage with visitors to the nursery. Pre-school children explore their feelings. They know if their actions make others happy or sad.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers use supervision with staff to identify accurate targets for their professional development. They identify weaknesses in the nursery that include staff's interactions with younger children and developing children's speech. Leaders and managers are seeking training to develop staff's skills and knowledge in these areas. However, although this is being addressed, it is not embedded in practice. n Staff monitor and assess all children's learning and development appropriately. They know what children can do and what they need to learn next. However, this information is not consistently shared between all staff members. As a result, some staff working with babies and younger children do not have high expectations for their learning. Babies and younger children are not always challenged to build on their vocabulary or to speak in their play. n Staff regularly talk to parents. They share information about children's

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need to do better?

achievements and find out what children enjoy doing at home. Staff use this information to plan new and exciting experiences for children in the nursery. For example, children participate in messy activities, such as mixing and exploring

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need to do better?

14 January 2020 with paint, which parents state they do not experience at home. Staff encourage children to talk about their home life to help them to learn about each other's differing lifestyles. n Pre-school children are helped by staff to develop the languages they speak at home. For example, while exploring items in a box, children confidently and spontaneously name those items using their home language and English. n Staff work closely with parents and carers when they identify gaps in children's learning. A shared agreement is used in the nursery and at home, to help children to catch up. n All children enjoy a healthy diet and have opportunities each day to be physically active outdoors in the garden. Children enjoy varied and nutritious meals, which include fresh fruit and vegetables. They develop their independence as they use utensils, such as a fork, spoon and knife. Older children help themselves to a

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need to do better?

drink of water when needed. n Children are helped to settle into the nursery by familiar staff. Each child has two key persons, who provide lots of hugs and re-assurance to children who are new to the nursery. This helps children to develop their confidence and to build secure attachments. n All children particularly enjoy being imaginative. Younger children explore space and measure as they scoop dried pasta into different-sized containers. Pre- school children enjoy pretending to be an artist. They talk about how colours change when they are mixed together. n Parents speak well of the nursery. They comment on the improvements that have been made since September 2019. They state that their children benefit from having a consistent key person. They feel this helps children to settle and progress in their learning and development. Parents state that communication between parents and staff is good. They particularly like reading their children's

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff attend training events to develop their knowledge of child protection and the 'Prevent' duty. They understand potential risks to children and know what action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Staff record personal information about the children and their hours of attendance clearly and securely. Managers follow robust recruitment procedures. They carry out in-depth checks to make sure staff are suitable to care for children. Staff-to-child ratios meet requirements. Staff make sure the nursery is secure. They supervise children well as they move around the play areas. This helps to keep children safe.

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Due date

make sure all staff know the learning intentions for babies and younger children so that all children in this age group are helped to make good progress, especially in their communication and language 28/02/2020

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Due date

guide the learning of babies and younger children through positive interactions and use activities to challenge this group of children to make good progress. 28/02/2020

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should:

n improve the communications between the staff and pre-school children so that everyone is prepared for changes to activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY538782 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 10119415 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 31 Name of registered person Dayah, Sheila

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reference number

Telephone number 01162706662 Date of previous inspection 23 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Stoneygate Montessori Nursery registered in 2016 and is located in Leicester. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three have a qualification at level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery with the manager. The inspector spoke with the management team and staff to gain an understanding of how the early years provision is planned and the curriculum is implemented. n The inspector held meetings with the provider and the nursery manager. The inspector reviewed a sample of the nursery's documentation. This included evidence about staff's recruitment, suitability and training and checking the nursery policies and procedures. n The inspector spoke to staff, parents and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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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

14 January 2020 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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