Cator Park Montessori School

Inspection of Cator Park Montessori School Aldersmead Road, Cator Park Pavilion, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1NA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Staff warmly welcome children into a nurturing and stimulating environment, where they feel extremely safe, valued and confident to explore. From the start of the day, staff encourage children to be independent. For example, children are highly confident as they self-register, find their name cards and manage their own shoes and coats.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff provide consistent routines and are always close by to help children develop resilience and a strong sense of security. Interactions between children are respectful. When conflict arises, for example, as children find it difficult to share books, they attempt to resolve matters verbally with minimal staff support. Staff manage children's behaviour calmly and consistently. They model positive strategies and help children to understand boundaries. This creates an extremely positive culture of mutual respect and cooperation.

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The provision is outstanding

The curriculum is ambitious for every child. All children show curiosity and high levels of engagement in their learning. They are confident to share their ideas, negotiate with their peers and express their needs. Activities are meaningful and rooted in children's interests, such as family traditions and real-life experiences. This gives them a strong sense of belonging and pride in their cultural identity.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff demonstrate exceptional expertise in observing, supporting and extending children's learning. Children are highly motivated learners, who develop important life skills and self-confidence, which prepares them exceptionally well for school.

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need to do better?

n Staff sequence the curriculum seamlessly to achieve excellent outcomes for children. They create an exceptionally calm but busy learning environment that enables all children to concentrate for long periods of time, regardless of their ages and stages of development. As a result, all children show extremely positive attitudes towards their learning. n Staff support children's physical development extremely well. For example, children show high levels of engagement and involvement during obstacle course activities. During activities such as these, children develop precise control, strong coordination and confidence, using their bodies in many different ways. n The leaders and staff use highly effective communication methods with parents. They share clear information about children's progress. They inform parents of weekly activities and planning. This help parents to extend learning at home and further strengthen their child's development.

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need to do better?

n Staff promote children's communication and language development extremely

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need to do better?

25 September 2025 well. They introduce new vocabulary in meaningful, engaging contexts. For example, they speak about the 'Traditional Day', where children share objects from home and explore their origins on a world map. Children learn to confidently use complex words, such as 'Australasia, Antarctica'. These experiences rapidly extend children's language skills and continually enhance their confidence in speaking. n Highly skilled staff provide targeted support to enable all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make exceptional progress from their starting points. Staff use individualised planning and timely interventions to remove any barriers to learning quickly. They help all children to thrive socially and in all areas of their learning. n The leadership team demonstrates exceptional commitment to professional growth. Staff supervisions are reflective and purposeful. These identify the

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need to do better?

individual strengths and development goals for all staff. Staff benefit from a wide range of high-quality training, to ensure their practice consistently exceeds expectations and contributes to sustained excellence. n Staff provide a highly stimulating learning environment, where children are consistently challenged and engaged. Staff interactions are of exceptionally high quality. For example, they use these skills to enable all children to foster a genuine love for books and stories. As a result, children demonstrate deep curiosity, concentration and strong social skills. The curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and builds on children's prior knowledge, preparing them exceptionally well for their next stage in education. n Leaders and staff work consistently to identify areas where children require additional support. For example, they assess all children's progress to quickly identify and close any gaps in their learning. They take all opportunities to work

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need to do better?

with other professionals to help children with SEND make the best possible progress in their learning and development. n Staff continuously encourage children's independence skills through daily routines that are carefully planned and well organised. Children confidently serve themselves at mealtimes, clear their plates and follow hygiene routines with minimal support. These daily opportunities help even the youngest children to learn, remember and apply important self-care skills on their own.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY333129 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 10399294 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 54 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person Kindred Education (Cator Park) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 778 9893 Date of previous inspection 26 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Cator Park Montessori School registered in 2006. The nursery is in the grounds of Cator Park, in Beckenham, in the London Borough of Bromley. The nursery is open five days a week, during term time only, from 8.30am until 5pm. There are nine members of staff, five of whom hold Montessori qualifications from level 3 to 6. The provider offers the government funded places for childcare and receives early years pupil premium funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n During the inspection, the manager went on a learning walk with the inspector and explained how the curriculum is implemented. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children and the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to staff and children when appropriate. 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

25 September 2025 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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