The Avenues Montessori

Inspection of The Avenues Montessori 406 Northdown Road, MARGATE, Kent CT9 3PG

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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 are happy, settled and content in this warm and welcoming nursery. They are often greeted at the door by their friends, who offer them smiles and cuddles to welcome them in. They beam with excitement and go straight off to join in with play. Children build good bonds with staff, which allows them to feel safe to enjoy freely exploring the environment.

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The provision is good

Children are kind to each other and notice when someone is upset or needs help. Young children bring tissues to their friends. Older children join in activities and support their friends to problem-solve, such as when building a tent in the garden. They are always engaged in play and are enthusiastic to learn and join in.

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The provision is good

Children are treated as individuals and all learning is aimed at building their knowledge and skills. Children's interests are taken into account, which supports them to feel motivated to learn. Older children thoroughly enjoy learning about sea animals and how to look after their environment. They giggle as they recall the 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' story, stomping around the garden. Younger children improve their physical development as they confidently run around a climbing frame, playing peekaboo with staff, and laugh as they chase bubbles in the garden.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide a curriculum that is well planned, based on effective assessment. They ensure that learning is sequenced to build on children's prior knowledge. For example, older children learn about litter picking and helping animals. Children show they understand and recall their previous learning. This supports an enthusiastic and positive attitude to learning. n Leaders and staff have a good knowledge of the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They provide effective, targeted support to ensure their safety and to help them make good progress. Funding is well spent on resources and memberships to support children's emotional well-being and gross motor skills. n Staff support children's early literacy skills well. Older children engage in matching letters and words to pictures. They beam with pride as staff praise them for forming the letters of their name. This supports children to make good

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need to do better?

progress and move on in their learning through appropriate, individual challenges. n When children struggle to regulate their own behaviours, staff are quick to respond and support them appropriately. They know children's individual likes and dislikes and work well to minimise any potential upset for children with SEND. Staff are good at distracting children and offering emotional support and lots of cuddles. This supports children in their behaviour and to feel safe.

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need to do better?

24 March 2023 n Staff support children well to understand routines. This helps children to be independent and ready for school when the time comes. However, some parts of the routines, such as transitioning from the garden to lunchtime and sleep times for young children, are less effective. Children sit waiting for long periods of time at the table, and the food is not served as hot as it is intended to be. Children wait for staff to be ready to put them to sleep when they are still engaging with other children and tidying resources away. This activity in the room means that some children find it harder to settle. These are areas that have been identified for improvement by the manager, through reflective practice, but are not yet fully effective. n Children are independent and confident. For instance, they enjoy asking visitors questions and excitedly talking about their friends and which schools they will be

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need to do better?

going to. Younger children enjoy washing their hands and finding their own name card for lunchtime. n Leaders are passionate about the nursery and strive to adapt and improve the care and education they offer to children. Staff undertake regular training to improve their knowledge and skills. This works to ensure that children are receiving good quality care and education across the nursery. n Staff and leaders build positive parent partnerships. Parents comment on the curriculum being stimulating and challenging. They say that their children come on 'leaps and bounds' in their development. This strong partnership supports the progress and well-being of all children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders promote a positive safeguarding culture. All staff are clear about the signs and symptoms of possible abuse and what to do if they have concerns about a child or the behaviour of a colleague. The manager supports staff to continue to update their understanding of pertinent safeguarding issues and their responsibility to protect children. Leaders carry out robust recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff complete daily risk assessments to ensure that the premises are safe. The manager monitors children's attendance and seeks to understand reasons for any absences.

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should:

n review and improve the organisation of lunchtime and sleep time routines so that children do not have to wait unnecessarily.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY413016 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10276578 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 77 Number of children on roll 123 Name of registered person Townsend Montessori Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01843221155 Date of previous inspection 21 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The Avenues Montessori originally registered in 2007 and re-registered in 2010. It is one of six nurseries operated by Townsend Montessori Nurseries Limited. The nursery operates in Margate, Kent. It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, for most of the year. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 23 members of staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status and 16 hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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 and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke with staff and observed interactions between staff and children. n Children talked to the inspector about their friends and the nursery. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n Parents shared their views about the nursery with the inspector.

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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

24 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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