Bay Tree Montessori

Inspection of Bay Tree Montessori 84 Markham Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH9 1JA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

When children and families arrive, staff greet them with a warm welcome and a smile. Babies and older children receive supportive settling-in sessions. Staff offer home visits for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. The rich and intriguing environment sparks children's curiosity and wonder, providing them with the motivation to learn. Staff are highly skilled when interacting with children, inspiring, guiding and informing their learning in sequence. For example, children water plants while staff are facilitating their learning of life cycles, using key words and exploring ideas. Children show a high level of independence when scraping their plate, rinsing and putting it in the dishwasher after lunch.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are keen and eager to join activities that ignite an array of learning opportunities. For example, children use their gross-motor skills to stir cake mixture and learn mathematical concepts when weighing and measuring ingredients. Babies show strong and trusting attachments with staff, who show a passion for supporting their learning. For example, staff challenge babies with their walking using the climbing steps in the bambini room.

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The provision is outstanding

Parents are highly involved in their children's learning and comment positively on the support and updates they receive daily regarding the care and development of their children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff remained in contact with families and children through providing pre-recorded stories, songs and activities using online platforms. For example, staff read stories to support children's communication and language development.

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need to do better?

n Managers and leaders have securely embedded an ambitious curriculum throughout the setting, and this is implemented extremely well by staff. All interactions with children are of a high quality. The staff have an excellent awareness of how children learn and provide opportunities for children that support their well-being and emotional development. For example, weekly yoga sessions support mindfulness. Staff seek extensive information on care routines and the needs of babies, so babies feel extremely secure. n Staff have exceptional knowledge of child development and what children need to learn. Staff provide opportunities for babies to support the use of core muscles for sitting and for older children to develop gross-motor movements for pre-writing skills. Phonological awareness is also introduced in preparation for their transition to school. n Children's behaviour is exemplary. Children understand why rules are in place

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need to do better?

and show confidence in social situations. When children encounter difficulties,

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need to do better?

10 August 2022 these are swiftly identified and action is taken to support them. Children use visual aids to help them explain what they need and to help others to understand how they may be feeling. Staff show children high levels of respect and kindness and value their opinions and choices. n Staff have high expectations for all children, including children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff work extremely closely with outside agencies to support children's individual needs. Staff collaborate closely with leaders to minimise any gaps in children's learning, ensuring all children make excellent progress. For example, staff recognise that following the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime areas of learning, particularly speech and language, are a priority, so they now have a teaching room where more focused and tailored activities take place. Staff speak a variety of languages, including

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need to do better?

Polish, Romanian, Turkish and Spanish, and staff share these with children daily. For example, babies are washing their hands while staff are singing a song in English and Spanish to support the babies' home language. The older children also enjoy learning songs in other languages and can recall them. n Staff provide children with rich and diverse experiences to learn about their community and the world around them. Managers ensure children have links with the wider community and have recently enjoyed a visit from the fire department, and they will be creating links with the local care home. Children explore the natural world they live in and use their allotment in the garden to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Children learn how to keep the fruit and vegetables alive and pick them when they are ready to eat for snack. Babies explore the fruit and vegetables through messy play to ignite their senses, and

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff provide outstanding support for children to become highly independent while enabling them to manage age-appropriate risks, for example when children use the climbing wall and climbing frame in the garden. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of their duty to protect children and report any concerns they may have about a child's well-being. Managers have robust, effective and efficient recruitment procedures in place. This helps to ensure that any adults working with children are suitable to do so.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY318998 Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Inspection number 10126010 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 32 Number of children on roll 61 Name of registered person Shepherd Montessori Schools Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01202 525 674 Date of previous inspection 20 June 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Bay Tree Montessori registered in 2005. It operates in Bournemouth. The nursery is open from 8am until 5pm, each weekday, for 51 weeks of the year. It receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 11 members of staff. Of these, the manager holds a BA degree in early years education, one staff member holds a level 7 in early education, one holds a level 6 qualification with qualified teacher status, six staff hold a level 3 qualification, and one holds a level 2 qualification. The nursery follows the Montessori method of teaching.

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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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching, indoors and outdoors, and carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents and children during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to staff at convenient times and assessed their safeguarding knowledge. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the senior management team to discuss leadership.

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Inspection activities

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

10 August 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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