Patchwork Montessori Nursery

Inspection of Patchwork Montessori Nursery 36 Belmont Park Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 6JS

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children are happy, they separate from parents well and settle quickly into the setting, joining in with activities and experiences on offer. Children are keen and enthusiastic learners, who want to take part and have a go. They talk enthusiastically about the things they have learned at nursery and how these link with home. Staff are aware of the impact the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has had on children's learning and emotional well-being. Staff ensure relevant support is in place to help with this.

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The provision is good

Children learn about healthy lifestyles, such as the benefits of toothbrushing and a healthy diet, through activities and discussions with staff. At snack time, they talk about the benefits of the food they are eating. Such as, fruit providing vitamins to fight germs and other food providing protein to help their bodies get better and heal.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and staff are good role models. Children learn to take turns. For instance, when staff negotiate that they can have a turn carrying the water at snack time and then it will be someone else's turn to carry the milk. Staff encourage children to learn and use good manners. For example, when they say please and thank you at mealtimes as they receive their food. Children are kind to each other, picking up things other children have dropped or bringing them their shoes from the cloakroom, when coming in from outside.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide an appropriate early years curriculum, which is ambitious for all children, focusing on them exploring, their interests and planned themes. Staff know the children extremely well, ensuring they follow their interests to plan for their learning, meaning they make valuable progress from their starting points. This ensures children are ready for the next stage in their education. n Children learn to do things for themselves and develop independence skills. For instance, when they come in from the garden, they remove their coats and hang them up and change into indoor shoes. However, there are some inconsistencies in teaching and interactions with children. Staff do not always extend and challenge children's thinking and learning effectively. n Children's communication and language is a strong focus. Children engage in two-way conversations with staff and their peers. Staff introduce new words to

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need to do better?

children, such as when they show great interest in the vase of fresh flowers. They talk about the flowers being 'delicate and fragile'. Staff support children who find communication more difficult, by using effective strategies to encourage them to use words and build their vocabulary over time. This ensures any gaps in learning close quickly.

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need to do better?

29 September 2021 n The provider and manager are keen to enhance the quality of the setting. They have effectively addressed the previous actions and recommendations. They have developed procedures to ensure they build relationships with other settings children attend, to provide a consistent approach to children's learning. At mealtimes, children are fully engaged with staff supporting them and engaging them in conversations that, on the whole, extends their learning. The setting have refined their procedures to ensure they gain more information from parents when children first start. This is to find out what they know and can do, to ensure they can start planning for their learning right from the beginning. n The staff team work closely with parents to meet children's individual needs. Parents speak highly of the nursery. They feel they were well supported through the pandemic and that the nursery offered their child a sense of normality. Staff

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need to do better?

include parents in children's learning well, they receive regular updates about their children's learning. Parents value that the nursery provide books daily as this encourages them to read with their children. n The organisation of some parts of the nursery day is not fully effective. Staff expect young children to sit for long periods of time beyond their capabilities, meaning they lose concentration and focus and their learning is not maximised. n Staff use everyday opportunities well to reinforce mathematical learning, such as counting plates at mealtimes and using fruit to do simple calculations. Children also discuss the size of wheels and vehicles during planned activities, for instance when they are constructing with straws.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff support children to learn about risk and also how to stay safe, such as in relation to using knives and how to carry chairs safely. They consider digital and online safety and share information with parents to help them to understand the risks to children. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe. They are able to identify possible signs and symptoms, including indicators relating to wider safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation and extremism. Staff understand how to report concerns and allegations appropriately. The provider has clear recruitment arrangements in place to ensure that staff working with children are suitable for their roles.

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should:

n ensure there is consistency in teaching and staff interactions with children to further extend and challenge their thinking and learning experiences n review the organisation of the nursery day to ensure children remain fully engaged and learning opportunities are maximised.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY461546 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10113845 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

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inspection

Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Patchwork Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01628 622469 Date of previous inspection 10 June 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Patchwork Montessori Nursery re-registered in 2013. The nursery is open from 8am until 6pm every weekday for 48 weeks of the year. It is closed for two weeks during the summer, one week at Easter and one week at Christmas. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold relevant early years qualifications from level 4 to level 7. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged three and four years old.

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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 their evaluation of the provider. n The provider and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The provider and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a planned activity. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

29 September 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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