Little Cedars Montessori

Inspection of Little Cedars Montessori 42 Cedar Road, Whiston, Prescot L35 2XA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children of all ages are extremely happy, safe and secure in this warm and welcoming, homely environment. They are developing firm attachments with staff who are patient, kind and caring in their approach. Staff adopt a curriculum that reflects children's interests. They gather detailed information from parents so they can build coherently on what children know and what they can already do. Children are making good progress in their learning and development, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The provision is good

Children are very well behaved and know what is expected of them. They enjoy helping staff with small tasks, such as collecting eggs from the resident chickens and helping to tidy up ready for lunch. Children show kindness and concern for their friends and play collaboratively together. They listen well and respond quickly to the instructions given by staff.

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The provision is good

Children's personal, social and emotional development has been a strong focus since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Staff have recently concentrated on developing children's confidence in their social interactions. Consequently, children enjoy spending time in the company of others. They demonstrate high levels of self-esteem and well-being. They are excited to explore and are motivated to learn.

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need to do better?

n The dedicated and passionate manager has a clear vision for improvement. She leads a highly qualified and enthusiastic staff team who together identify the setting's strengths and areas for development. This united approach helps staff to continually improve outcomes for children. n Children have wonderful opportunities to learn about the natural world around them. For example, children grow produce in the garden to enable them to understand where food comes from. Staff support children to harvest tomatoes and strawberries and talk to them about the importance of healthy eating. Furthermore, children gain an understanding of how to care for living things as they take responsibility for watering the plants. n Children of all ages demonstrate a love of literacy. Staff read to children with enthusiasm and ask questions about what might happen next. Staff have implemented a 'Book of the Month' to further promote the importance of reading

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need to do better?

and to help them to gain skills for the future. Older children repeat familiar refrains and talk about the characters in their favourite tales. Furthermore, children are encouraged to take home books to share with their families. This practice supports children's early literacy skills. n Children enjoy spending time outdoors. Their physical development is particularly well supported. Staff encourage children to take safe and controlled

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need to do better?

26 August 2021 risks as they play, which in turns develops their confidence and independence. For example, children concentrate intently as they balance on a beam. Staff offer gentle reminders about looking where they are going and to take careful steps. Consequently, children are developing a positive can-do attitude. n Overall, staff actively promote children's communication and language skills. They provide a running commentary as children play, which helps to give meaning to what children are doing. Furthermore, staff use descriptive language and use repetition to reinforce understanding. However, occasionally, staff do not always model the correct pronunciation of words in order to successfully support children's emerging awareness of language. n The manager supports staff effectively through supervision meetings and observations of their practice. Staff are able to access online training and are

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need to do better?

encouraged to reflect on their practice. However, arrangements to support those staff who are less confident and less experienced are still in their infancy. n Throughout the COVID -19 pandemic, parents have not had access to the setting as they normally would. However, they talk extremely positively about the steps staff have taken to ensure that communication is maintained. For example, they appreciate the dedicated application that the manager has put in place, alongside their daily discussions at the entrance to the setting. Parents feel well informed and know what their children are learning and enjoying throughout the day.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and her staff team demonstrate a very secure understanding of the procedures to follow in order to keep children safe from harm. They confidently describe the possible signs and symptoms that may indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. All staff attend regular training to ensure that their knowledge and skills remain up to date. Furthermore, the subject of safeguarding is always discussed at staff meetings. The manager implements robust recruitment arrangements and conducts regular checks to ensure that staff remain suitable to carry out their role. Effective staff deployment ensures that children are well supervised throughout the day.

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should:

n continue to sharply focus supervision arrangements to help less-experienced staff to grow in confidence and develop their knowledge and skills even further n assist staff to understand the importance of pronouncing words correctly in order to support children's emerging communication and language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY561869 Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Inspection number 10191726 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Little Cedars Montessori Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01514939011 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Cedars Montessori registered in 2019. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round. The setting currently employs nine staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 5 and six hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the provider. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n A learning walk was completed with the manager to discuss the curriculum intent and how the provision is organised. n A joint evaluation of an activity was completed with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She reviewed a variety of documents, including qualifications, first-aid certificates and policies. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and children during activities and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning.

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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

26 August 2021 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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