Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd

Inspection of Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd Cuton Hall Lane, Springfield, CHELMSFORD CM2 5PX

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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, parents and carers receive a warm welcome when they arrive at the nursery. This helps children to settle into their day quickly. Each child has an allocated key person who knows them well and plans for their care and learning needs. The key persons consider each child's interests, making sure there are activities that will capture their imagination and encourage them to join in.

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories and looking at books. Nursery staff make sure there are plenty of books available for all children. Children spend time outdoors each day. They benefit from time in the fresh air, where they develop their coordination as they run and climb. Children particularly enjoy the small hills that they run up and down, racing with nursery staff and their friends.

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The provision is good

The nursery staff incorporate Montessori teaching into the experiences for children. There is a variety of equipment designed to support the teaching of specific skills and concepts. Children behave well in the nursery, and staff help children with their regular reminders about the 'golden rules'. As children get older, they quickly recall the details of these rules, such as to use 'kind hands' and 'indoor voices'. This helps to ensure that children get along well with others and behave in a respectful way, looking after their friends, the toys and the environment.

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need to do better?

n Staff make good use of familiar books to help extend children's communication and language skills. Children quickly recognise these stories, and they become firm favourites. Children eagerly join in with parts of the story. Staff's use of props helps to encourage children's participation and extend their concentration. Staff use Makaton signing with the babies and younger children to aid their communication and participation in story time. n Staff place a strong focus on helping children to develop their physical skills and learn to do things for themselves. This begins with babies sitting at the table for meals and feeding themselves. Staff build on these skills, and as children get older, they learn to use cutlery when eating and eventually serve their own meals. Children learn to hold and use crayons and pencils to make marks. They become skilled in using scissors to cut paper. n Children benefit from a wide range of experiences presented to them as part of

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need to do better?

their daily learning through planned and self-chosen play. Managers and staff include topics and themes designed to capture children's interest and further their knowledge of the world around them. Children learn about animals, their characteristics and the sounds they make. However, although staff plan a range of activities to support all areas of learning, they do not always clearly identify the specific skills or knowledge they want children to learn as part of the

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need to do better?

11 May 2023 activities. n Parents are very positive about the nursery. They praise the friendliness of the staff and say their children have made good progress since they joined the nursery. Parents comment that they receive regular updates about their children's progress and that staff provide ideas for how they can support children's learning at home. This promotes continuity in their learning and helps them to make good progress. n The designated special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable and confident in her role. She works closely with staff to identify children who may require additional support. The SENCo assists staff to implement children's individual plans. She liaises with parents and external professionals to ensure children get the help they need to make good progress. The physical activity and nutrition coordinator makes sure these important elements of promoting good

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need to do better?

health are included in the curriculum. Staff in these roles and senior managers provide information for parents on these aspects of early years care and education. n The strong management team provides effective leadership. It gives high priority to staff well-being and has reward and recognition schemes for staff. The team is ambitious and has high expectations. Staff have regular one-to-one meetings with managers to look at some aspects of their practice. However, monitoring of staff practice and coaching are not used to rapidly raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have secure safeguarding knowledge. They receive induction training to help them recognise concerns and to learn how to record and report these to the appropriate agency. Managers include safeguarding refresher sessions in staff meetings and one-to-one supervision meetings with staff. This helps to keep staff up to date, identify any gaps in knowledge and to arrange further training. Managers provide all staff with information about safeguarding so they can refer to it if they need to. Staff know the procedure to follow if there are concerns about a child or an adult working with children.

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should:

n use monitoring of staff practice to sharpen the quality of teaching and help staff identify what they want children to learn n support staff to consistently match the next steps to children's specific learning needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY542373 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10290707 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 119 Number of children on roll 230 Name of registered person Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07970685529 Date of previous inspection 21 November 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten Ltd registered in 2016. It is one of two nurseries run by the same organisation. The nursery employs 35 members of childcare staff. Of these, 21 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including four who hold qualifications at level 4 and above. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The managers and the inspectors discussed how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. They observed and evaluated the quality of education. n The inspectors had discussions with the provider, managers and staff. They looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working at the nursery. n The inspectors spoke to children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n Parents shared their views about the nursery with the inspectors. These were considered as part of the overall evaluation.

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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

11 May 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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