Bright Horizons Norfolk Lodge Montessori Day Nursery

Inspection of Bright Horizons Norfolk Lodge Montessori Day Nursery Norfolk Lodge, Dancers Hill Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 4RP

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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

Leaders and managers have careful oversight of the curriculum. They fully understand what children need to learn and why they need to learn it. They thoroughly support staff to provide an interesting and engaging range of activities and experiences. Staff welcome children warmly, and help them feel at home in the nursery. Children show that they feel safe as they seek help from their trusted adults at any time they are unsure. Staff are positive role models and they use encouraging language and gentle reminders to support children to behave well overall.

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy time outdoors in the exciting nursery garden where they have wonderful opportunities to explore the world around them. Children are fascinated by the world around them and are encouraged to explore and understand the features of creatures that they find in woodland. Staff and children enthusiastically discuss the number of legs on a beetle and examine this carefully through a bug viewer. As the children explore worms and slugs, staff encourage children to handle these animals with care, reminding them to be gentle to living creatures. Staff help children explore the language around the animals. For example, they introduce words to describe the animals which children then copy. Children describe the worm as soft and the slug as slimy and sticky.

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy moving their bodies to music as they listen to familiar songs, and tap the rhythm of the music as they bang sticks together. They explore resources in a bag that link to a trip to a jungle. Staff help children to work things out for themselves as they give children time to identify a compass, and then think about how this will help them on their journey through the jungle.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery. They have high expectations of all staff and support them through close supervision and regular training to help them work towards their goals. Leaders and managers provide clear and insightful feedback to staff to help improve their practice. Managers and leaders clearly know and understand the strengths of the setting and the areas where they want to continue to drive improvement. n Staff report that they feel very well supported, something which is evidenced by the high level of staff retention. The managers work very well together to ensure that they offer support to any staff member who may need it. This results in a cohesive and experienced team that is well placed to help children acquire all the skills they need to help them in their future learning. n Staff know children's needs very well. They understand children's home lives,

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need to do better?

their starting points when they join and their progress over time. They use this

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need to do better?

11 July 2024 knowledge to support children's learning and care needs to a high level. Staff identify any gaps in children's learning swiftly and put plans in place to deal with these rapidly. All children make very strong progress. n All children have vast opportunities to be creative. They are provided with lots of opportunities to develop their own ideas as they use a wide range of mark- making tools and natural materials to create their own artwork. Staff place great value on children's work and display this, helping children to feel valued. Children's talents are celebrated and they feel a great sense of achievement. n Children are confident, independent and they form strong friendships. However, on occasions, children lose interest in activities and interrupt the learning of others. Staff do not consistently help all children to understand the effects this behaviour can have on others. n The curriculum is embedded across all rooms and staff plan experiences based

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need to do better?

on children's prior experiences, interests and knowing what children need to learn next. However, occasionally during adult-focused activities, some staff do not consider how to adapt their teaching to help every child to remain highly engaged in their learning. n Staff encourage children's independence incredibly well. They encourage children to do things for themselves, for example putting their shoes on and serving their own food. Children are very eager to persevere until they achieve a task. They problem-solve and find solutions and are very proud when they achieve an end goal. Children have great respect for their environment as they learn to care for living creatures and to look after flowers and vegetables that they grow.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n develop further the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development, to help all children better understand the impact of their behaviour on others, particularly when this interrupts other children's learning n help staff to more consistently recognise when to adapt activities to sustain children's attention more successfully.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY496169 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10331917 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 140 Number of children on roll 189 Name of registered person Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 020 3912 6015 Date of previous inspection 4 January 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Bright Horizons Norfolk Lodge Montessori Day Nursery registered in 2016 and is located in Barnet. The nursery employs 44 members of childcare staff. Of these, 36 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. One staff member has qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding for free early education for three- and four-year-old children. It opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. The nursery also runs an additional activity scheme during the school holidays. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. The nursery follows the Montessori ethos of teaching.

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Inspection activities

n Two inspectors carried out this inspection. The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspectors viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager joined one inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n One inspector spoke to several parents and took account of their views. n The inspectors spoke to children to find out about their time at the nursery. n The inspectors talked to staff, including the special educational needs coordinator, at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager and the deputy manager. n The inspectors 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

11 July 2024 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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