Mace Montessori Nursery

Mace Montessori Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY395978 Address: 69 Thorparch Road, LONDON, SW8 4RH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 16/07/2009 Registers: EYR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are very well behaved. Leaders have high expectations for behaviour, which are commonly understood throughout the nursery. Practitioners consistently address unwanted behaviours, giving clear and age-appropriate responses, although unwanted behaviours are rare. Practitioners explain to children the reasons why certain behaviour is unwanted and the impact it has on their peers. For example, during a book-sharing session, practitioners discuss why it is important to look after the books and how they can repair a book that has been torn. Children are keen to explore solutions to problems and confident to share their thoughts, suggesting they can 'stick it'.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have a positive attitude towards their learning. They have respect for their environment and the resources. Children use glass tumblers and ceramic plates and handle them with care. They remind their peers about how these items should be used to prevent breakages. Practitioners provide specific praise. This supports children to understand what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Key-person systems are effective. Children develop secure attachments with their key people, who know them well. Practitioners act as positive role models, supporting children to understand their emotions. Children seek adults for support when needed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are treated with respect. Practitioners seek their consent and value their responses during nappy changing and sleep times. Practitioners soothe the youngest children to sleep with lullabies and the comfort of their familiar practitioners. Children play collaboratively with their peers and often invite practitioners into their play. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Leaders actively promote attendance. They monitor and evaluate attendance effectively and offer support when necessary. This supports children to establish important habits for later success.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children make progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children develop the skills needed to express themselves to their peers and a wide range of adults. They generally develop a secure foundation in communication and language development and personal and social development, as well as physical development. Children have plenty of space both inside the large rooms and outside in the garden area to practise fundamental movement skills. Younger children who are just beginning to walk have opportunities to cruise along furniture and repeatedly practise those large-muscle skills. Older children create their own obstacle course and practise jumping, hopping and balancing. Younger children develop their small-muscle skills well when carrying objects and feeding themselves. Older children continue to develop their small-muscle skills by practising how to

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Achievement Expected standard

undo buttons and zips. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning and development, including their transitions to school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders typically ensure that policies and procedures are robust in ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of the children. Leaders continually reflect on current practice and make changes where appropriate. For example, leaders have reflected on their door entry system and altered parents' and carers' collection routines to ensure that it continues to be robust.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders embed consistent routines throughout the nursery. As a result, children, including those with barriers to their learning, know what is expected of them and when. Developing children's independence is a high priority for leaders and practitioners. Older children are the masters of their own learning. They select what they want to play with from the organised and well-resourced shelves. Children manage their own care routines, including dressing and undressing independently, washing their own plates, cups and cutlery after meals and cleaning their own tables and faces after eating. Toddlers take off their own shoes, pair them and place their socks inside their shoes before sleeping. All of these skills support children to be prepared for the wider world.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children receive healthy and balanced food which is cooked on site. Practitioners generally discuss the importance of healthy eating and the impact food has on children's bodies. Routines for eating and sleeping are robust. Children are closely monitored and practitioners are aware of the signs of choking. Comprehensive policies for supporting children's dietary requirements are in place. This ensures that children stay safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders are very passionate about the Montessori curriculum that they provide. They demonstrate a secure understanding of child development and children's age-appropriate learning. Leaders are very ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Practitioners place a sharp emphasis on children's acquisition of language and communication. Children develop a love for storytelling, songs and rhymes. Practitioners use every opportunity to share books and sing songs with children. They discuss the images and encourage children to think beyond the here and now. Young children delight as they sing 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm'. They confidently join in with the repetitive refrains and are keen to choose the next animal to sing about. Practitioners skilfully extend children's vocabulary by commenting on their actions. On occasion, children, including those with barriers to their learning, do not have their next step clearly identified,

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

which means they do not receive the targeted support they need in a timely manner.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Practitioners foster older children's curiosity as they paint with water on the blackboard. They typically consider what the children already know and build on this knowledge. Practitioners introduce words such as 'evaporating' and give meaningful explanations for them to support understanding. Leaders ensure that the curriculum for mathematics is sequenced and progressive. Younger children explore number names and counting through songs and rhymes. Older children are keen to sort and order numbers accurately. Practitioners skilfully incorporate mathematics into everyday routines. For example, older children count how many plates, cups and items of cutlery are needed when setting up the lunch tables. Practitioners ask meaningful questions to support problem-solving. As a result, children develop a secure understanding of mathematics to support their later learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Practitioners identify and assess children's individual needs well. Upon entry, they implement a thorough and robust system for gathering information about children. Practitioners meet with families to exchange vital information about children's needs. They discuss any concerns about children's development, as well as their likes and dislikes. Practitioners use this time effectively to build relationships with families and the children attending.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Practitioners meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders work closely with external professionals to provide the correct support for children. They listen to suggestions and hold children's best interests at the heart of everything they do. For example, leaders liaise with speech and language therapists to formulate strategies to support children's language development. Practitioners adapt their speech to meet the needs of the children they are interacting with.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners monitor children's progress and regularly review the support that is given. They complete the progress checks when children are aged between 2 and 3 years in a timely manner, and share these with families. These checks support families to know what support is needed for their children. On occasion, these assessments do not clearly indicate which area of each child's development needs support. As a result, children do not always get the targeted support they need in a timely manner. Leaders are aware of this weakness and are working to put this right.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about the care and education that all children receive at the nursery. They have clear and ambitious visions for securing the best outcomes for children. Leaders typically understand the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery. They act swiftly to improve areas identified for improvement. For example, leaders review their policy for regular visitors to ensure they are escorted safely out of the building. Leaders have robust systems in place for managing allegations. They understand their responsibilities for keeping children safe and work collaboratively with the local-authority designated officer.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that safer recruitment practices are consistently followed. Clear induction processes ensure practitioners have a secure understanding of what is expected of them. On occasion, practitioners' targets during supervision meetings lack precision. As a result, sometimes practitioners are not clear on precisely where they need to improve.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders take action to ensure that practitioners' wellbeing and workloads are manageable. They build respectful and professional relationships with the team. Leaders conduct regular supervision sessions and ad-hoc meetings with practitioners to discuss any concerns. Leaders and practitioners pride themselves on having a longstanding team.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parental engagement is a key aspect, and one that the nursery celebrates. Leaders regularly invite families to the nursery to share in their children's learning. For example, leaders invite families in to participate in an art exhibition based around the artist Vincent Van Gogh. Families have the opportunity to discuss their children's artwork and get ideas on how to support their children's learning at home.

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

Children are happy to attend this well-organised, bright and friendly Montessori nursery. Children receive a warm greeting from their key person and are keen to explore the nursery environment. Children who are new to the nursery are given extra time and support to help them settle in. Practitioners are sensitive and responsive to children's needs, ensuring that their favourite toys and/or activities are available for them. Where children are finding it particularly difficult to settle, practitioners work closely with families to support each child's individual needs. For example, they consider and alter the length of days and the number of consecutive days children attend. As a result, children's wellbeing is supported during this transitional stage.

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

Children enjoy learning. Younger children bounce up and down with excitement when singing their favourite songs. They express their joy with practitioners who are keen to share their excitement. Older children become engrossed in their play for extended periods of time. They play alongside their peers, sharing and taking turns. For example, groups of children discuss how they are going to make a bridge across some water. They work together, negotiating plans and listening respectfully to each other's ideas. Children develop positive relationships with practitioners and their peers.

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

Children are prepared for the next stage in their learning. Transitions within the nursery are well planned and reflective of the children's needs. Practitioners work closely across the nursery to ensure that key information about each child is shared with their new key person, especially for children with barriers to their learning. Children feel settled in their new room. Practitioners ring-fence time to transition with children so that children's emotional wellbeing is supported.

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

Children benefit from staff setting clear expectations for their behaviour. They attend regularly, and this is promoted by the whole team. The system for monitoring attendance

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited

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Address:

Register(s): EYR enables children to stay safe. Through regular attendance, children develop the behaviour and attitudes expected of them.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen their assessment processes to ensure that children's next steps, especially where there are concerns about development, are shared effectively so that all children get the targeted support they need. Leaders should continue to reflect on the quality of care and education they deliver and ensure that targets to improve practitioners' practice are specific and tailored to their individual needs.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers, children, the special educational needs coordinators and designated safeguarding leads 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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