KidsUniverse Montessori & Day Nursery (Harrow)

Inspection of kidsUniverse Montessori & Day Nursery (Harrow) 76 Marlborough Hill, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 1TY

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022 - 1 August 2022

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children are happy to attend this well-maintained nursery, where they have access to a wide range of resources and toys to support their learning. Managers carefully consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and families. They recognise that some children had spent large amounts of time with only close relatives during lockdowns. They use this knowledge to implement effective settling-in arrangements for children. This means children who are new to the nursery, settle quickly and feel secure. They receive comfort and reassurance from friendly staff, who know their key children well, and who have high expectations for what they want children to learn while in their care.

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The provision is good

Children identify themselves and their families in photos that staff mount on the nursery walls. They are encouraged to bring in toys and objects from home to 'show and tell' with their friends. This helps children to develop a positive sense of self as they talk proudly to their peers about their lives outside of nursery. Children's behaviour is good. Staff have embedded routines and rules that keep children safe and prepare them for their next stage of learning, including school.

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need to do better?

n Staff communicate regularly with parents about their children's interests, and use this information to provide activities that children are excited to engage in. For example, children excitedly tell their peers about animals they have seen on a recent trip to a farm, while playing with farmyard toys. Staff skilfully extend this activity by introducing mathematical concepts about the size of the animals compared to others. However, during some larger group activities, children who are quieter than their more confident peers do not always receive the full benefit of the planned activities. n Staff plan exciting activities for children to engage in. This leads to children being excited to learn and develop their skills in all areas of their development. For example, children enthusiastically cut and squeeze oranges and lemons using different kitchen utensils to make juice, and then use new vocabulary to

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need to do better?

describe the taste. However, some staff are unclear about the intended learning outcomes from activities. This means that some gaps in children's learning may be overlooked. n Children are learning how to keep themselves safe while taking age-appropriate risks. Pre-school children are supported to build an assault course and then are supervised by staff while they negotiate it by carefully walking across raised planks over shallow water and jumping between boxes. This also supports children's good physical development by allowing them to develop and practise their gross-motor skills. n Meal and snack times are social occasions, where children also benefit from a

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need to do better?

29 March 2022 menu of healthy and nutritious food to support their good health. Older children are supported to develop their independence skills as they help to serve food to their peers and pour their own drinks, while attentive staff use opportunities to model new language and engage in conversation with the children. Babies are supported to have a go at feeding themselves with age-appropriate cutlery. n Managers and leaders have a clear oversight of the quality of care being provided to children. Staff receive regular supervision and have detailed arrangements in place to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills to fulfil their role. Staff talk positively about their recent training to support childrenwho speak English as an additional language and the positive impact it has had on their practice. As a result, children whose first language is not English are developing good communication skills and have opportunities to

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need to do better?

share their home language with staff and peers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to keep children safe at the nursery. The manager ensures that staff are deployed effectively, so that children are supervised in their play. Staff conduct risk assessments regularly to identify and minimise risks to children in the nursery environment. In addition, staff know the signs to look out for if a child is experiencing abuse or neglect, as well as the procedures to follow should they become concerned about a child's welfare.

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should:

n strengthen the organisation of activities to further support children who are quieter or less confident to get the most from planned activities n improve systems for coaching staff to further improve their knowledge and understanding of how to plan and implement challenging activities based on children's next steps in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY499187 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 10203891 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 96 Number of children on roll 77 Name of registered person Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07956 286 572 Date of previous inspection 2 July 2021

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Information about this early years setting

kidsUniverse Montessori & Day Nursery (Harrow) registered in 2016. There was a transition of ownership in 2019 and the nursery was taken over by Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd. The nursery is situated in the London Borough of Harrow. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm and operates all year round, excluding public holidays. There are 15 staff with relevant qualifications, ranging from levels 2 to 6, including one member of staff who holds qualified teacher status. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Karinna Hemerling Joanne Wildman

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspectors observed staff's interactions with children across the whole setting, indoor and outdoor. n The manager and inspectors jointly observed staff practice and evaluated the quality of teaching. n The inspectors spoke with parents, and considered their experiences when evaluating partnership with parents. n The inspectors reviewed documentation, such as samples of staff recruitment records and qualifications. n The manager and inspectors undertook a learning walk around the nursery and discussed how the setting was organised, and the curriculum on offer.

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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 March 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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