Happy Hands Montessori Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Happy Hands Montessori Nursery Ltd St. Marys Church, Neasden Lane, LONDON NW10 2TS

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children arrive happy to start their day at this exciting nursery. Staff are enthusiastic and children respond well to this, joining in with activities that are on offer. Behaviour is good. Older and younger children play well together. Older children are respectful of their younger peers and young children play cooperatively together, handing toy farm animals to each other with adult support.

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The provision is good

Children access activities based on their interest and developmental stages. Staff rotate activities as different age groups access the main room. Children busy themselves in the garden. Some older children plant flower seeds and discuss how much water they need to make them grow. Other children talk about meals that they are cooking in their outdoor kitchen area.

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The provision is good

Opportunities for physical development are plentiful. All children have regular access to the garden, where they use ride-along toys, balls and balancing toys. Inside, children engage in music-and-movement sessions where they dance and follow the actions of different songs with their peers. Children develop their smaller muscles, learning to use spades to dig soil, burying various vegetables in it. Younger children explore paint and make marks using strings, using different motions to create different shapes.

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need to do better?

n Communication and language is taught very well. Children have lots of opportunities to build on their existing vocabulary. Staff skilfully introduce new words to older children. They discuss words like 'hydrate' as they talk about adding water to soil during a planting activity. Children enjoy regular stories and song times and look at books independently. Children who speak English as an additional language are equally well supported. For example, they benefit from interactions with multilingual staff, who support children to learn English words as well as speaking with them in their spoken language. n Children enjoy learning about mathematics. Staff use mathematical language during activities, such as 'dividing mud' and talking about the volume and size of things. Younger children talk about how many toy hens are in a tray and enjoy singing counting rhymes. Children in the garden spontaneously count number

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need to do better?

beanbags and smile as they guess the correct numbers. n Staff acknowledge children's feelings. During morning group time, older children discuss their feelings and describe them in ways that are personal to them. Staff acknowledge this and explore further with children, encouraging them to explain how they are feeling. As a result, children are confident when expressing their wants and needs and show they feel safe and nurtured within the nursery. n Children benefit from well-balanced and nutritious meals. Staff encourage

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need to do better?

6 March 2023 children to try new foods and work with parents to support this area. Staff encourage some independence at mealtimes. However, sometimes staff spoon food onto younger children's plates with them, rather than letting them have the time to do it by themselves. As a result, younger children are not benefiting from developing skills needed for later life. n Staff at the nursery understand the importance of early intervention and help for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The nursery's special educational needs coordinator works well with families to ensure that all children get support in order for them to make good progress. The nursery has a specific unit to support children who need additional support. Children enjoy activities, such as 'bucket time', where staff provide sensory experiences and children are introduced to language. Children use the sensory room when they

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need to do better?

need time to understand their behaviour. Parents comment on how beneficial the SEND support that staff provide for their families is. n The manager holds weekly meetings with staff to ensure that activities are purposeful and give opportunities for staff to evaluate the individual progress of each child. Staff comment that they discuss relevant safeguarding topics and overall they feel well supported. However, the manager acknowledges that staff supervisions need to be more structured to ensure that staff feel supported professionally and personally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children are safe and secure in the nursery. Staff ensure all children are accounted for as they enter and exit the building. Staff carry out regular head counts as children go into the garden and ensure that all play spaces are safe and fit for purpose. Staff understand the processes that they need to follow should they have an immediate concern about a child's welfare. Staff talk about safeguarding regularly in weekly meetings, and do online training to ensure that their knowledge is up to date. Staff understand the importance of knowing their children well and being able to identify concerning changes to their behaviour.

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should:

n consider the organisation of mealtimes to ensure that they are purposeful, specifically so that younger children can continue to learn and develop their independence n develop staff supervisions to ensure all staff have opportunities to further their professional development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY424918 Local authority Brent Inspection number 10276427 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 70 Number of children on roll 92 Name of registered person Happy Hands Montessori Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07875 514968 Date of previous inspection 14 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Happy Hands Montessori Nursery Ltd registered in 2011. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 43 weeks of the year. There are 15 members of staff Of these, two staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2 and 13 hold qualifications at level 3. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery follows the Montessori teaching philosophy.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector completed a learning walk of the areas used by the setting to find out how they are organised, and the range of activities provided indoors and outdoors. n The inspector checked a sample of documentation, including evidence of staff's suitability and training. n The inspector carried out a joint observation 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

6 March 2023 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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