Sunflower Montessori Nursery School

Sunflower Montessori Nursery School

Unique reference number (URN): 2744132 Address: 73 Leysdown Road, London, SE9 4UB Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/08/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Sunflower Montessori Nursery School

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff are unwavering in their support of children with challenges to their wellbeing. They work closely with parents and carers to identify any changes to children's circumstances. They gently consider how this may affect children's emotional security. Staff adapt routines to support these children's individual needs. For example, staff create individual plans to help children form healthy attachments, including those with barriers to their wellbeing. For example, when children need additional support to develop emotional regulation skills staff research and share specialist approaches tailored to individuals needs. All staff develop routines that help children to feel secure. For example, staff closely guide babies as they learn to walk and climb. Children develop a secure sense of personal safety, and staff teach children to express their needs.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff consistently develop routines to help children form healthy habits. Staff plan a wide variety of opportunities for children to learn outdoors, and promote positive attitudes to physical activity. Staff ensure that they adapt their routines and practice considering children's unique backgrounds. They build opportunities into the curriculum for children to celebrate their backgrounds. Children delight in sharing their uniqueness with others. For example, they celebrate their family and experiences beyond the nursery. All children thrive in an environment that helps them to feel valued and safe.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve well from their starting points. They develop curiosity, and engage in a wide variety of age-appropriate activities. Children access resources that suit their ages and stages of learning and promote their independence. Children excitedly select from a range of tools to explore different materials. For example, children enjoy creating shapes out of sand and dough. They enjoy repeating activities that they are familiar with to practise their skills. Children enjoy engaging in discussions that help them describe their thoughts and develop their imagination.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities develop confidence in their learning. All children are well prepared for their future learning.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff have warm relationships with children that help them to feel safe. They have an embedded approach to supporting children to develop positive behaviours. Staff role model kindness. For example, staff gently encourage children to think about the effort others have put into their creations. They continue to build on how they embed the most positive attitudes to learning of all children through consistently impactful teaching of focus and concentration. Staff help children to celebrate the achievements of their friends. Children learn how their words and actions may affect other people.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff help all children to develop confidence by praising their positive behaviours, for instance. Leaders work closely with staff to develop approaches to managing children's behaviour. This includes training staff to reinforce expectations in an age-appropriate manner. All staff feel confident in supporting children, when they struggle to regulate their emotions. For example, staff help children to take turns and share. Children develop secure friendships and healthy relationships with other people as a result.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families to develop children's punctuality at the nursery. They promote regular attendance by supporting parents and carers to understand the importance of early education.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff focus on teaching independence skills, supporting children to become curious learners, who develop their own talents and interests. Staff teach children to evaluate risk as they climb and slide on large-play equipment, developing their physical skills. Staff assess what children know and can do and use this to plan suitably challenging activities. They support children's mathematical development. They encourage children to count and measure quantities, and use mathematical vocabulary. For example, they ask children to compare quantities using language, such as 'more than' and heavy'. Children develop a secure awareness of number and value. Staff help children to develop social skills. They develop solid friendships as they negotiate and share with others. They learn that playing with other people can enhance their happiness and enjoyment of learning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have plans underway to develop how staff adapt their teaching during group activities. Teaching typically supports children well during free play but is inconsistent during group activities. Staff do not consistently adapt their approach to hold the interest of all children who choose to take part in group activities, to ensure they can participate fully.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff supporting children with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND) have the knowledge they need to carry out this role effectively. They regularly attend training to help them to identify children with SEND. Staff sensitively support children who speak English as an additional language to access the curriculum. They identify the small steps children need to make to reach developmental milestones. For example, staff teach them to use single words, small phrases and then longer sentences. All children, including those with learning barriers, generally develop secure communication skills.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with a variety of experts to promote children's learning. For example, staff work with speech therapists to explore strategies to help children to learn to follow instructions. This typically has a positive impact on the learning of all children. Staff receive training that helps them to plan and evaluate activities. Leaders continue to develop how these strategies are embedded. For example, they are supporting staff to use sign language more consistently across the nursery. This helps to support the communication skills of children with barriers to their learning.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders reflect on the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They work together to develop action plans to bring about improvement. For example, leaders are developing how staff share training with others. For example, by sharing consistent practice to engage children in shared reading across the different rooms. They aim to embed consistent approaches to developing children's attention and focus. Staff have secure levels of wellbeing because they feel valued. Leaders use supervision sessions thoughtfully and spend time evaluating staff development and identifying any challenges they are facing. This helps staff to carry out their roles effectively. Leaders consider the individual skills of staff when providing them with ongoing support. This helps staff to develop their knowledge and skills over time. Leaders use induction procedures that give staff confidence.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders take steps to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes ensuring that expert help is provided to children by a variety of professionals, supporting children's learning and wellbeing. For example, leaders have worked with nutrition specialists to develop how they teach children healthy habits. Leaders reflect on the impact their work has on children. They work closely with parents and carers to promote further learning at home.

p.4

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

Children develop skills to support their independence. Pre-school children select activities, carefully balancing trays or resources, taking care to look after them, for instance. Children concentrate and focus on their learning. For example, they spend time trying hard to transfer objects to and from different containers. Staff gently encourage children to achieve their goals, and children are confident to try a range of different tasks. This helps them to achieve well from their starting points.

p.4

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

Staff quickly identify gaps in children's knowledge. They use a variety of strategies to help children to develop their skills. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported, through use of visual aids to help them understand instructions, for instance. Staff support children's communication skills in their home language, and teach language skills to all children using books and nursery rhymes. Children develop a keen interest in

p.4

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises stories. The language they learn helps them to become confident in their speech and develop conversational skills.

p.5

Address:

Staff consider when children need additional emotional support. They understand children's background experiences and changes to their circumstances. This includes considering and promoting attendance and adapting routines when children have been absent. This helps children to feel safe and happy. Staff work closely with parents and carers to support babies to settle into the nursery. They consider the individual needs of children, using a range of items from home to help children to settle, for instance. Staff gently encourage children to gain independence and build attachments with adults. Babies have warm relationships with staff. This helps them to feel reassured and safe. Staff support children to build and maintain secure friendships. All children feel a sense of belonging at the nursery.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should further develop how staff adapt their teaching in group activities to help all children who chose to take part, to fully participate and develop positive attitudes to learning.

p.5

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, children and staff during the inspection.

p.5

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. Registration date: 29/08/2023

p.5

About this inspection

Registered person: Sunflower Montessori Nursery School

p.6

About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.6

Exceptional

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

p.6

Strong standard

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

p.6

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.

p.6

Needs attention

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

p.7

Urgent improvement

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Urgent improvement

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

p.7