Blackwell Montessori Nursery

Inspection of Blackwell Montessori Nursery Lickey Parish Hall, 411 Old Birmingham Road, Lickey, Worcestershire B45 8ES

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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 warmly welcomed into this calm, nurturing and safe environment, by staff who understand their unique personalities and needs. Each child is given the time they need to wash their hands and pour their drink and carry it to the table. Even the youngest children show high levels of independence and confidence during this time. Children benefit from story sessions and enjoy looking at books independently during the session.

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The provision is good

Children are encouraged to explore, discover and investigate their environment indoors and outdoors. They show high levels of interest and persevere in their chosen activities. For example, children independently access the Montessori resources, which are focused on promoting their fine motor skills. Activities quickly capture children's imagination. For example, children make dens for the pretend insects with the natural materials provided. Staff skilfully help children to recall what they have been learning about insects. Children recall how bees make honey and the life cycle of the butterfly and talk about grasshoppers and tarantulas. During the forest walk, toddlers easily follow instructions to keep safe. They listen to the sounds they hear and are encouraged to talk about the animals they might see. Pre-school children thoroughly enjoy the phonics session as they link sounds to letters of the alphabet and sing.

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need to do better?

n The experienced manager provides an educational programme that uses aspects of the Montessori approach to help promote children's learning across all areas. The environment is set up daily with the development needs of children in mind. The main focus is to allow children to freely play, explore and discover at their own pace. Staff place a high focus on building children's confidence and independence through the routines and their play. n Using the natural world to engage children and support their learning is a prime focus. Staff provide rich, first-hand experiences for children to learn about the natural world and living things. For example, children learn about the life cycle of plants and trees as they regularly walk through the local forest and learn about seasonal changes. They learn about the local wildlife as they watch video footage captured of animals, such as rabbits, foxes and magpies visiting the

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need to do better?

grounds. n Staff support children to learn about their similarities and differences and talk about their families and home lives. Children learn to respect each other and be kind. They begin to value other languages through the French lessons provided. However, staff do not create enough opportunities for children to use their home languages and learn about people and communities beyond their own experience.

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need to do better?

6 June 2023 n The motivated staff team speaks highly of the manager and the support they receive. The manager works alongside the staff and provides regular staff supervision, coaching and training to help develop and extend their knowledge and teaching skills. However, the manager has not identified that during group sessions, staff do not always plan diligently for the mixed-age group of children taking part. Consequently, on these occasions, the youngest children do not fully participate and get the very most from the experiences on offer. n Promoting children's good health is a clear strength. Children have plenty of opportunities to be outdoors in the fresh air and use a range of challenging equipment to be physical. They benefit from weekly music and movement sessions and learn that exercise is good for their health. n Staff build strong relationships with parents and collate useful information about

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need to do better?

children's care and development. Parents report that they are impressed by the progress their children make. They are grateful for the electronic system used, which gives them instant access to their children's progress and learning. Parents state they find this information useful in helping them support their children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping children safe is a high priority, and staff ensure children learn how to keep safe on outings. For example, during the forest walk, toddlers keep hold of the walking rope throughout the visit and know about the possible dangers in the forest. There are robust recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable and clear about their roles and responsibilities. All staff are trained in child protection. They have a good understanding of child protection issues and the procedures to follow if they have a concern. There are strong partnerships with other agencies and professionals working with children to help support their education and welfare.

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should:

n support staff to help them plan more robustly for group activities, so that the youngest children can fully participate and get the most from the experiences on offer n increase the opportunities children have to use their home languages and learn about people and communities beyond their own experience, to help further support their understanding of diversity.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2631015 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 10281153 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Blackwell Montessori Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07732 498980 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Blackwell Montessori Nursery registered in 2021. It operates from the parish hall in Lickey, Worcestershire. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. A holiday club operates for one week at Easter and three weeks in the summer, from 8am to 5pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3, and one is unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first 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 the evaluation of the provider. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together to gather information about the experiences provided. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector took into account the views of parents.

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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 June 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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