Milton Keynes Montessori Preschool

Milton Keynes Montessori Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2743670 Address: 49d Wolverton Road, Stony Stratford, MILTON KEYNES, MK11 1ED Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 21/07/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: MK Montessori Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children acquire language very effectively in this setting. For example, they learn about a badger and extend their vocabulary to include words such as 'snout' and 'paws'. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning achieve very well from their starting points.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make superb progress for their next stage in learning, including school. They gain an excellent range of skills to take care of their own needs. For example, children competently flip their coats and change their shoes. This supports children in preparation for the eventual move on to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave exceptionally well. The nursery is very calm and staff manage children's behaviour in extremely positive ways. Staff are excellent role models. They use a range of strategies to support children's understanding of how to regulate their emotions. For example, staff plan weekly yoga sessions and all children select a daily 'job' to undertake, such as to sweep up, clean a table or wash up a glass. Staff promote an ethos of all children taking responsibility for their actions and being considerate of their friends.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

A highly effective key-person system is in place. All staff know all children exceptionally well. Staff use their in-depth knowledge of each child's home life and cultural background to ensure they are represented, respected and celebrated at nursery. Leaders embed teaching that focuses on grace and courtesy within their planned curriculum. This supports children's understanding of kindness and considerate behaviour towards their friends and staff at nursery.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Leaders and staff understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality at nursery. When children are absent, there are robust systems in place to check on children. Staff engage with families very well, and relationships with parents and carers are superb.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children receive an extremely warm welcome on arrival at nursery. They settle exceptionally well. There is a highly effective key-person approach, enabling children to make excellent bonds with staff. Staff really know all children and their families exceptionally well, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn about healthy lifestyles and how exercise and healthy food are good for their bodies. Staff also teach children about how to be safe. For example, children know they need to take small bites to avoid choking. They learn about self-care practices and confidently take themselves to the nose-blowing station.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff are exemplary role models. They use clear narratives, are consistent and use gentle reminders to fully incorporate the nursery's rules, which embed the Montessori ethos. Children listen well. They respond with immense kindness when turn-taking and sharing. For example, children who are less confident are encouraged by nurturing staff to find a friend who may wish to join in with a game together. Children work together to turn-take and giggle as they practise yoga and roll simultaneously on the carpet. Staff join in with their pretend play. Staff are superb in supporting children how to recognise, express and manage their emotions. For instance, on the day of the inspection, some of the children felt sad, as some of their friends were absent with chickenpox. Staff speak with children in a kind and nurturing way and support children in understanding how to deal with their emotions. They act with compassion and talk to children about their feelings in an age-appropriate manner.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders plan and implement an inspirational curriculum. Their precise knowledge of children's individual abilities enables them to adapt their strong teaching to meet children's targeted needs. Leaders have superb pedagogical knowledge and can explain with ease how their planned curriculum fits into the early years foundation stage. Leaders know the importance of a strong focus on children's communication and language development. For example, they support younger children with small-group work. Numeracy and mathematics are woven into children's daily learning. Children can identify shapes and colours and start to count confidently.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff provide an excellent range of activities and experiences that skilfully combine the Montessori ethos to support children's next steps in their learning. This starts from the outset, with home visits, comprehensive settling-in sessions and assessments, and continues through their journey at nursery. Staff plan and evaluate a range of child- and adult-led experiences, with each child's individual learning taken into account.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff make skilled adaptations to support children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They plan learning opportunities to support children with a range of physical and emotional needs. For instance, staff implement activities to strengthen children's fine motor skills and use yoga to support their physical and emotional development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to their learning receive superb support. With the skilled guidance of leaders, staff are particularly effective at identifying and supporting these children. For example, all staff receive training on the graduated approach and discuss children's progress weekly at staff meetings. Staff expertly use their knowledge of each child to put personalised strategies in place, which they regularly review. Staff actively signpost parents and carers to a range of professionals to support children with SEND and those who face barriers to their learning. This ensures that children get the specific support they need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders swiftly identify children who may not be making expected progress. They identify any barriers and how they are supporting and monitoring these children to close any gaps in their development. For example, staff access the local authority's inclusion team, personalise learning and use the graduated approach with ease to check on the impact of the learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Furthermore, leaders source additional funding for specific children's needs. Staff use funding to purchase carefully selected resources that extend and enhance children's learning experiences. For example, children take resources home to support their learning and have hot meals provided for them at the setting.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are dedicated and have a profound commitment to continuous reflection and self- evaluation. They lead the staff team with vision and passion. Leaders are able to identify their strengths and areas for improvement correctly. They demonstrate an uncompromising commitment to providing children with the highest level of care and education. Leaders have a high ambition for what children can achieve, regardless of their backgrounds and previous encounters. This includes targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. The nursery offers all children exceptional learning experiences.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders recognise the importance and benefits of early identification for children and their families. For example, they offer a range of information, guidance and support to children and their families.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are well established and extremely supportive of the staff team. They strive to continually improve practice and support all children. Staff attend a range of extensive, targeted training to enhance their skills and knowledge of their role. For example, each staff member has an individualised training plan together with their own targets, which they all know. There is an ethos of self-reflection and drive to improve, with all staff commenting extremely positively on their wellbeing and working at the nursery. These strategies have had a positive impact on their planning of activities and the environment, increasing children's learning.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Nurturing staff ensure that children thrive in this rich learning environment. Staff wholeheartedly embrace how to support children's emotional wellbeing. They understand the need for children to feel a strong sense of belonging. For example, children self-register, have family photos on display and confidently select their job to undertake for the day. Children show they are safe and secure as they become deeply involved in their play choices.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff use children's interests to encourage them to persist at activities. They are highly skilled at engaging children and using their interests and ideas to continually consolidate and build on their skills. For example, children are developing excellent number skills. They roll dice and can competently add and subtract numbers. Children are proud of their achievements and want to share their learning. They are able to recall how they calculated their sums and know that '12' is a bigger number than '11'. Children behave exceptionally well and are polite and caring to each other. They develop highly positive attitudes to learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff share a love of books with children as they gather enthusiastically round to listen. Children are bursting with excitement to answer curious questions with extensive vocabulary. They recall prior knowledge as they undertake learning. For example, children make gingerbread. They recall the ingredients needed to make the dough and then quote key phrases from the story about a gingerbread man. Children remind staff to close the windows and doors so their gingerbread men do not escape and before the fox gobbles them up. Children are highly inquisitive and show an exceptionally positive attitude towards their learning.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners and the special educational needs coordinator during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

49d Wolverton Road Stony Stratford MILTON KEYNES MK11 1ED

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:10 - 15:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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