Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham

Inspection of Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham Unit 4, Capital House, Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent ME13 8GD

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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 Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children and babies enjoy the opportunity to play outside at nursery each day. Staff work well to support children's safety in warm weather as they ensure children wear sun hats. Each child has a key person who knows them and has high expectations for them. There is a buddy system for when staff are absent. However, recent staffing issues mean that key people are stretched and struggle to manage their workload. Ratios are maintained through additional staff being brought in. However, they cannot always meet the needs of the children at all times. This has an impact on children's experiences throughout the day. At times, some children become unsettled. Despite this, children do engage in a range of activities. For example, toddlers receive appropriate support to build a train track. Staff model how to solve the problem of fitting shapes together and talk to them about the different vehicles they have chosen. However, the curriculum is not

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The provision requires improvement

implemented consistently as not all staff have knowledge of individual children and awareness to deploy themselves effectively. As a result, children's learning is not always purposeful and children do not consistently receive challenge.

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The provision requires improvement

Children generally behave well and staff promote good manners. At times when children are less engaged in activities, they can become disruptive. Not all staff recognise that this is due to lack of challenge. When this happens, children do not always receive support to learn how their behaviour has an impact on others.

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need to do better?

n The leadership team is aware of the weaknesses in the nursery and is working to address the staffing concerns. Managers have begun to implement strategies to make improvements in the setting. For example, they have had room meetings with staff and created plans to help with staff deployment issues. n Staff promote independence throughout the nursery well. For instance, children of all ages serve themselves snack. Younger children enjoy the opportunity to wash their hands at low sinks before meals and after messy play. n Staff in the baby room demonstrate strong practice. The room is well organised and calm. Staff are attentive to babies' needs and build strong bonds with their key children. Learning is well supported. For example, staff place a strong focus on supporting communication and language. They talk to babies as they play. They add words and repeat important phrases to extend their skills.

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need to do better?

n At times, staff struggle to support new toddlers to settle. Some children are new to the nursery and others have moved from the baby room. Due to the staffing issues, key persons struggle to provide consistency for children and support other staff. However, staff give children cuddles when they are upset and know their comforters and care preferences. n Key persons understand the learning needs of the children, including those who

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need to do better?

16 June 2022 learn English as an additional language. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have appropriate plans in place. However, due to the lack of consistency within the curriculum, children do not always receive enough support to make good progress and reach their full potential. Not all children will have a good range of learning experiences to help them be ready for school. n The leadership and management team provides appropriate support and ongoing professional development for staff. There are training plans in place to help develop practice throughout the nursery. Some training has taken place recently. However, the impact of this has not been observed. Leaders are monitoring practice to help staff implement new skills from training. n The manager and staff have suitable links with parents and other agencies, such as other settings that the children attend. They share information about

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need to do better?

children's time at nursery. Parents comment that their children enjoy attending and staff are responsive to their feedback. n Pre-school children enjoy the opportunity to build on their physical skills. For example, they balance and climb on wooden beams in the garden. Others play well together and use their imaginations to go on a pirate adventure. However, children do not receive enough support to learn about why they are asked not to do something by staff. At times, this has an impact on how well they are able to play together as they do not always receive strong messages about good behaviour.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a clear understanding of their role to safeguard children. The manager works well with other agencies to support children. Staff receive regular training. They have a secure knowledge of what could give them cause for concern about a child. Staff are aware of the procedures to follow in their setting and how to escalate their concern to other agencies. This includes safeguarding areas such as female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty. They know what to do if they observe concerns about staff practice in the setting.

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Due date

ensure that staff are appropriately deployed and have suitable skills to be able to meet the needs of all children effectively 11/07/2022

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Due date

16 June 2022 implement a clear curriculum to inform staff's teaching and help to challenge and motivate children, to support them to make consistent progress in their learning and development. 11/07/2022

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should:

n develop further the support for children to transition into the nursery and between rooms to ensure they are settled, to fully promote their personal, social and emotional development n improve further the support for children to learn and understand about the impact of their behaviour.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY425824 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10229948 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 120 Number of children on roll 204 Name of registered person Townsend Montessori Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01795 539803 Date of previous inspection 29 May 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham registered in 2011. It follows the Montessori method of education. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 26 members of staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Sarah Taylor-Smith Pippa Clark

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspectors talked to staff, children and parents to gain feedback about the setting. n The inspectors completed a learning walk with the manager. n The inspectors observed practice in each room and completed joint observations with the 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

16 June 2022 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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