Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham

Inspection of Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham Unit 4, Capital House, Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent ME13 8GD

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children come into the nursery happily. They are confident and feel safe and secure in this caring setting. Relationships are warm and trusting. Children frequently go to their key person for reassurance or a hug. Carefully planned activities by staff, help learn to share, take turns and play collaboratively with their friends. Younger children take turns to choose an animal for the song, while older children hold cylinders together for a friend to pour sand into. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, and children respond well. Where there are disagreements, staff talk to children about how their behaviour makes others feel.

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The provision is good

Children show care for others. For instance, children carefully wrap a baby doll in a blanket and then say, 'Shhhh' because the baby is sleeping. Children have positive attitudes to their learning. They follow the example set by staff, demonstrating good manners and saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are supported by staff and this helps them learn to be independent in managing their personal care. The youngest children are shown how to feed themselves and can soon successfully copy the action to perform this task independently. They learn to pour their own drinks and to serve themselves at mealtimes. Children can use simple tools, such as safety knives, to cut up their fruit for snack.

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need to do better?

n Overall, parents are happy with the nursery. They say staff know their children well and are knowledgeable. Parents are pleased with new transition arrangements. They are consulted about their child's interests and preferences and are pleased that home routines are followed in the nursery. However, some parents are unclear about their child's next steps in learning and how to support their children's learning at home. n Staff support children's communication and language skills effectively. In all rooms, staff speak clearly to help to support correct pronunciation. Toddlers are encouraged to name the fruits in a familiar story. Staff extend their vocabulary, using colours to describe the fruit. Older children recognise rhymes and supply missing phrases in stories. They can predict what might happen next in a story and speak clearly, using full sentences. n Staff plan interesting and engaging activities based on children's interests. They

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need to do better?

observe children and identify their next steps in learning. Occasionally, staff do not plan the activity carefully enough for children to be able to achieve the identified next step. n Children build their physical skills well as they move through the nursery. The youngest children are supported in learning to walk independently. Outside, children play with a range of different balls, learning how to throw and catch accurately. Older children practise the skills of more formalised games, such as

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need to do better?

24 April 2023 rugby. They pass the ball, run and score a 'try'. Others enjoy the ride-on toys, appropriate to their age, negotiating corners and avoiding obstacles. n Staff help to support children to be ready for the next stage of their education, including school. Children develop strength in their fingers to help support early writing skills. For example, a young child was delighted to observe a picture emerge as he did a rubbing. Older children developed finger strength as they squeezed pipettes to precisely place small blobs of paint on damp paper. They smiled with pleasure as they observed the colours merging together, making new colours. n Leaders are ambitious. They have a comprehensive improvement plan in place, which has helped to support them in improving the skills and knowledge of staff, thus making children's learning more effective. Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager to discuss their practice and training needs, as well

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need to do better?

as their well-being. n Children learn that other cultures have different customs. They celebrate a variety of festivals, read books that show a range of different families and access resources to support their understanding of similarities and differences. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effectively supported. The special educational needs coordinator is appropriately trained. She liaises with external professionals to ensure that children have the support they need and, that advice is followed in planning activities that help to support good progress. Additional funding is spent appropriately to meet the needs of these children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff can talk knowledgeably about safeguarding issues, including those that are most common to their area. Staff benefit from regular training and quizzes which the manager completes to test their knowledge. They know how to recognise a child that may be at risk and who they should contact about any concerns they may have. Staff know the procedures they should follow if they see signs that a child's safety may be compromised. They complete regular fire evacuations and checks of fire-fighting equipment. They check the premises daily to ensure they are safe for children to use.

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should:

n provide staff with support to help them understand how to more effectively focus curriculum planning on what they want children to learn n strengthen lines of communications with parents and help them to understand what their children need to learn next and how to support their learning at

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY425824 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10247203 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 120 Number of children on roll 111 Name of registered person Townsend Montessori Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01795 539803 Date of previous inspection 16 June 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Townsend Montessori Nursery Faversham registered in 2011. It follows the Montessori method of education. The nursery is open each weekday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 25 members of staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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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 setting. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk of the premises. With room leaders, they discussed how the planned activities supported the learning of the children. n The inspector and the manager jointly observed children interacting with nursery staff and discussed the learning that had taken place. n At suitable times during the inspection, the inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took account of their views. n The inspector held discussions with staff at all levels about their understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. n Documents relating to safeguarding and suitability were viewed.

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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 April 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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