Townsend Montessori @ Herne Bay

Inspection of Townsend Montessori @ Herne Bay Beaumont House, Beaumont Street, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 8LX

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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 feel safe and happily engage with others as they investigate their chosen activities. They explore the different sounds musical instruments make as they experiment and listen to rhythms. Staff have high expectations for children and make good use of interactions with them to develop their language skills.

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The provision is good

Children have plenty of opportunities for fresh air and enjoy a range of activities in the outdoor area. The younger children march and explore different ways of moving around the garden. Older children show off their hopping skills. They enjoy the challenge of seeing how many hops they can do on each leg as they build up their muscles.

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The provision is good

Babies smile and confidently interact with staff and visitors. They hold the hands of staff as they climb up and down the steps in the playroom. Babies gain confidence as they practise their physical skills.

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The provision is good

Children are developing their independence in learning and self-care skills. They clearly explain the importance of washing hands to get rid of germs. Staff teach children how to make healthy choices. For example, they provide them with real fruit and vegetables in the home corner to use in their role play. The children are particularly interested in the smell of the onion and how the skin feels. Children have a wide range of sensory experiences and learn about being healthy.

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need to do better?

n Staff get to know children well and their emotional well-being is a high priority. They give children clear instructions, so that they understand the expectations of their behaviour. Staff reinforce positive behaviour. For instance, they praise children when they show spontaneous acts of kindness. n Children are eager to spend time investigating and exploring in the forest school. During the inspection, children expertly steered the wheelbarrow around obstacles as they transported conkers, before counting and stacking them into piles. Staff provide them with extensive opportunities to learn about plants and animals. Children were particularly excited to see a robin feeding on the food they had left. Staff effectively support children to learn about the world around them. n Staff are vigilant and are aware of the importance of children's safety. They carry out effective risk assessments. Children learn how to keep themselves and

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need to do better?

others safe. n Staff provide younger children with a range of objects to pick up and splash into water. Older children apply their problem-solving skills as they work out how to get to the fruit that has been frozen into large ice blocks. Staff talk to children

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need to do better?

11 November 2021 about the sounds and textures. Older children gain a sense of achievement as they complete their task, which helps to develop their self-esteem. n Children have numerous opportunities to explore books and hear stories indoors and outside. Staff provide cosy areas for children to sit and look at books. They read stories to the children and encourage them to anticipate the key events. Staff have a strong focus on home learning. They encourage parents to take books home to share with their children to help develop their interest in literacy. n The manager and staff have formed positive relationships with parents. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are not able to go into the nursery playrooms at present. Staff make sure that parents are kept up to date about their children's learning and development. For example, they speak with parents at drop-off and collection times, and encourage them to view and add to

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need to do better?

children's online records. n The manager is passionate about her role and has a strong commitment to providing good-quality experiences for all children who attend. She values the views and commitment of the staff team in reviewing and improving the service they provide. The manager understands the importance of developing the staff team. She is aware of the challenges they face with the high percentage of the team newly employed at the nursery. The manager monitors training and ensures that staff receive any training they need. However, some staff do not always put this into practice to consistently provide a higher level of challenge in order to help extend children's knowledge and skills even further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager has a secure understanding of how to safeguard children. She has implemented effective monitoring procedures to ensure staff keep their safeguarding training up to date. For instance, some staff have recently updated their 'Prevent' duty training. Staff have a good knowledge of the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. They are aware of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The provider implements robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure all adults working with children are suitable and fully aware of their role.

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should:

n strengthen support for staff to help them make the most of experiences that arise to challenge and extend children's knowledge and understanding.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY558031 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10190442 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 0 Number of children on roll 139 Name of registered person Townsend Montessori Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01843 852575 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Townsend Montessori @ Herne Bay registered in 2018. It operates from premises in Herne Bay, Kent. The nursery is one of seven owned by Townsend Montessori Nurseries Limited. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for most of the year. They employ 24 members of staff. Of these, 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. They also employ a level 4 Montessori teacher, and two members of staff hold a level 6 qualification. The nursery 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 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n During the learning walk, the manager explained to the inspector how they plan the daily routines and curriculum for the children. n Some children were keen to show the inspector their favourite activities and talk about what they were doing. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n Parents took time to speak to the inspector about the service they receive from the nursery staff. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and observed the quality of education being provided indoors and outside.

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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

11 November 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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