Blue Nest Montessori School

Inspection of Blue Nest Montessori School West End (Pinner) L T C, Cuckoo Hill Road, Pinner HA5 1AY

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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 and parents are warmly welcomed by staff on arrival. Children leave their parents with ease and find their peg. They hang up their personal belongings and take off their jackets before starting their busy day, knowing the routine well. Staff support children who have recently joined the nursery by providing lots of reassurance and helping them to form close bonds. As a result, children feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They are calm, relaxed and show high levels of curiosity and concentration in this nurturing environment. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children follow the 'golden rules' and show respect for each other. Staff use praise and encouragement to promote children's behaviour. Children listen and respond to instructions.

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The provision is good

Staff put children at the heart of everything they do. They carefully tune into children's voices to plan a wide range of activities based on their interests and needs. Staff make sure that enough resources are available and organised for children to make choices, indoors and outdoors. For example, children have continuous opportunities to practise pouring with different resources to make it more challenging. The curriculum is ambitious, sequenced and builds on children's past experiences. All children make good progress in their learning.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff team are passionate about providing high-quality education for all children who attend. They evaluate the nursery and consider the strengths and areas of development, which helps them to identify further areas for improvement and make positive changes. For example, staff have carefully assessed the layout of the hall and recently changed it so that children have more space to move about and enjoy dancing. n Staff support children to follow good personal hygiene routines. For example, recently, staff introduced a toothbrushing routine. Children learn the importance of oral hygiene and confidently brush their teeth after snack. Older children use the toilet and wash their hands independently, and staff support younger children. However, at times, staff do not maximise opportunities for children to carry out tasks for themselves. This impacts on children's ability to persist when

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need to do better?

some tasks are tricky. n Parents are complimentary about staff, saying they are friendly and kind. The manager and staff have built strong relationship with parents. Parents appreciate the regular communication, verbally and via the online app. Parents comment that the nursery has a 'homely feeling'. They say that staff are approachable if they have any concerns or questions.

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need to do better?

19 October 2023 n Staff encourage children's early mathematical skills throughout the day. Staff introduce and use number language and calculating skills in everyday activities playfully. For instance, staff read the numbers as younger children press the toy telephone buttons to pretend to call their parents. Older children count how many bananas they cut with simple sums and use a sand timer during tidy-up time. They are excited to tidy up quickly to beat the sand timer. n Staff swiftly identify those children who may need additional support. They provide support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them to reach their full potential. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to plan appropriate targets for each child. They use additional funding effectively, such as early years pupil premium, to benefit the children who receive it. However, there are occasions when staff do not appropriately

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need to do better?

communicate key information about children among themselves. This mean that, in the absence of a key person, other staff do not consistently maximise children's learning at every opportunity. n Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active and build on their physical skills and strengths. For example, children use various-sized jugs, funnels and pipettes to measure water to develop their small muscles. They enjoy climbing the climbing frame, lifting themselves up to swing, and riding the bicycles, which helps to develop their large-muscle movements. n Staff report high levels of well-being and receive good support. The manager carries out regular supervision meetings with staff and observes their teaching practice. This supports staff to continuously develop their practice and ensures that quality is consistent throughout the nursery. During supervision meetings, staff discuss their own professional development, training needs and set targets.

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need to do better?

They feel valued and supported in their roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good awareness of safeguarding issues. Staff can identify risks and the signs that a child may be at risk of harm. They know what action to take should they have concerns about a child's welfare. Staff attend regular safeguarding training to update their knowledge. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to help to ensure the suitability of staff. Managers ensure that staff are deployed effectively so that children are always supervised. Staff record children's accidents and share these with parents. Staff teach children simple rules to help them to learn to keep themselves safe.

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should:

n strengthen staff's practice to give children further opportunities to develop their

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should:

19 October 2023 independence in daily routines n develop communication to ensure that key persons consistently share information about children's development and needs with other staff, to maximise children's learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2653373 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 10308719 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Buzy Bees Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 02088615574 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Blue Nest Montessori School registered in 2021. The nursery is located in Pinner, in the London Borough of Harrow. There are nine staff, including the manager. Of these, one holds a qualification at level 7, two hold qualifications at level 6, one holds a qualification at level 5 and three hold qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from 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 nursery 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 nursery. n The inspector viewed the nursery and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the managers about the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

19 October 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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