Forest Hill Montessori Nursery

Inspection of Forest Hill Montessori Nursery Rojack Road, London, Kent SE23 2DF

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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 are happy and engaged in this calm and nurturing environment. They develop warm relationships with staff, which supports their emotional well-being. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence as they engage in quality interactions with adults and their peers.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and respond promptly to staff. Expectations are high for all children in this inclusive setting. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make noticeable progress. Staff put targeted interventions in place to support all children in reaching their full potential.

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The provision is good

Children are encouraged to make their own choices and be independent. For example, they pour their own drinks, spread butter and cut fruit safely with a knife at snack time. Babies quickly learn how to drink from an open cup, and toddlers learn to put their coats on by themselves.

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The provision is good

There is a library stand in the entrance hall where children can choose a book to take home and share with their family. This promotes language development and enjoyment of reading. Parents speak positively about the nursery and the care for their children. They are happy with the level of communication through weekly newsletters and daily feedback. Parents are given opportunities to be involved in the life of the nursery through coffee mornings and parent activity days.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan purposeful and challenging activities, building on what children have previously learned. For example, children classify vegetables into groups of what grows above the ground and what grows below the ground after learning about harvesting vegetables and produce from the farm. n Staff skilfully question children to check their understanding. They regularly observe and assess to identify what they need to learn next. Activities are planned around children's interests and individual next steps. n Children are focused and engaged in the wide range of activities on offer. They learn about the changes that take place during autumn while they paint and print with leaves. Older children accurately count leaves and mini pumpkins into numbered pots and are challenged to solve simple addition problems. n Children sing familiar songs and listen to stories throughout the day. They develop their language skills by completing missing phrases to songs and role-

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need to do better?

playing stories, such as 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and 'Cave Baby'. n Children enjoy healthy meals prepared on site by the chef and learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They take part in daily morning exercise activities. Additionally, they have plenty of opportunities for play in the outdoor

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need to do better?

27 September 2022 spaces and trips to the local parks which also support their physical development. n Engaging topics, such as 'transport' and 'people who help us', are enriched through outings on trains and buses or trips to the fire station. Staff also take the children on outings to the local shops to buy ingredients for their regular cookery sessions. n Staff focus on developing children's understanding of their own feelings and emotions. For instance, children look at their own facial expressions in mirrors and point to faces on cards, showing how they are feeling. Children consider how they might behave when they feel a certain way. This supports children to manage their own feelings and behaviour. When children struggle to regulate their behaviour, staff take appropriate action to support them. n Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning and are supported through each transition, including starting school. Many children are able to

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need to do better?

recognise the letters and sounds in their names and write their own names. n The committed manager reflects on practice in the nursery and strives for continuous improvement. On the whole, staff report they are well supported and feel they can discuss issues with management. However, some members of staff lack confidence in some areas and are unsure of training or mentoring opportunities available to them to enhance their practice. n Children are given opportunities to learn about different cultures through events such as Black History Month, and diversity is celebrated across the nursery. Gender stereotypes are challenged as children learn about the wide range of roles that men and women can do in our society today.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand the importance of keeping children safe. Management and staff have improved procedures for checking that staff deployment is effective and children are well supervised at all times. Changes have been made to the exit systems of the nursery to ensure the safety of all children. Staff check that the environment is free from hazards daily. Staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and know what action they must take if they are concerned about children in their care or staff in the nursery. Safer recruitment procedures are implemented effectively to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Management continues to check staff suitability throughout their employment.

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should:

n plan targeted mentoring and training for all practitioners to ensure their knowledge and practice builds and improves over time.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2522421 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 10208139 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 82 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person Bright Stars Nursery Group Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 291 2999 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Forest Hill Montessori Nursery registered in 2019 and is part of a national chain. The nursery operates within the London Borough of Lewisham. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm. The nursery employs 20 staff, and of these, 10 have appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. Forest Hill Montessori Nursery provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery follows aspects of the Montessori philosophy of education.

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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 inspector viewed the provision and discussed how the provider ensures it is safe and suitable. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all the areas of the nursery and discussed the curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n Children spoke to and communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed interactions between staff and the children. n The inspector observed children's play, learning and care routines, both indoors and outdoors. n The inspector spoke to a number of staff throughout the inspection. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of children's

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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

27 September 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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