Little Diggers Montessori Bosham

Little Diggers Montessori Bosham

Unique reference number (URN): 2857713 Address: 1-3 Broadbridge Business Centre, Delling Lane, Bosham, Chichester, PO18 8NF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/09/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Little Diggers Montessori Bosham Ltd

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

Achievement Expected standard

Children generally make steady progress through the curriculum from their individual starting points. They securely build their communication and language skills. For example, younger children look at picture books and copy the colour names that staff label. They practise focusing their attention, listening carefully and following daily instructions. This helps children to share their thoughts with staff and their friends during group activities. However, minor inconsistencies in teaching mean children occasionally do not consistently achieve even more.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children who face barriers to learning or with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically achieve well. For instance, children who find transitions difficult learn to manage room changes smoothly. They benefit from staff breaking these changes down into small and familiar steps to build their confidence. Children learn to participate happily in group games and share space and resources well.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Furthermore, children are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. They generally build early literacy skills by listening to songs and stories frequently. Older children count objects and explore mathematical ideas during daily play. They successfully learn the routines required to be ready for school. For example, children practise wearing their uniforms and enjoy back-and-forth conversations about their interests.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders establish a positive environment, with commonly understood expectations for behaviour. Children build warm and trusting relationships with their key persons and interact confidently with staff. Staff support children to develop positive social skills, encouraging them to treat others with kindness, care and respect. For example, staff actively sit with children during table activities to model and support positive interactions. They teach children how to talk through disagreements and understand their emotions. Younger children learn to play collaboratively and share equipment happily within the outdoor spaces.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders promote regular attendance and punctuality by keeping a close record of attendance patterns. They work closely with parents and carers to identify and overcome any specific challenges families face. Staff carefully consider children's individual needs, family circumstances and developmental stages when supporting them. This sensitive and targeted approach helps children to establish healthy daily routines and settle into nursery life smoothly.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff use positive behaviour management strategies. For example, they use gentle and calm reminders to redirect children safely if they get distracted. Staff use explicit praise to reinforce positive choices. For instance, they give warm encouragement when children sit nicely. Leaders are actively working on staff being fully consistent with behaviour management. All staff have completed positive behaviour training to ensure these supportive methods are used across the nursery.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff typically establish secure and responsive attachments with babies and children from a young age. Key persons are generally sensitive to individual needs, helping children build positive emotional security. Leaders provide calming areas with things, such as soft cushions and books. Staff use these spaces to help children manage their feelings during daily play. This nurturing care enables children to settle smoothly and develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff generally plan daily routines well to support children's individual personal needs. This practical support ensures that children who face barriers to learning feel a sense of belonging. For instance, staff work closely with parents and carers to follow familiar patterns for children's sleep times and feeding routines. Leaders also provide healthy and balanced meals for all children. A dedicated catering team makes all of the healthy snacks on site in their café-style room. However, leaders have not consistently monitored staff's understanding of training, to make sure these effective practices are consistent throughout the team.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn to look after their bodies and understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff generally support children well to manage their personal hygiene, including washing their hands independently. They also teach children about personal safety during daily outings. For example, staff use regular community trips to teach children about road safety. Children learn to follow instructions when crossing roads and exploring the neighbourhood safely. This positive guidance helps children learn to look after themselves.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders maintain an accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching across the nursery. They design a curriculum that covers all learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. Leaders use assessments to check what children know to plan activities for their different starting points and needs. For example, staff use regular check-ups to see how each child is doing and to pick their next learning steps.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff prioritise children's physical, personal, social and emotional development across all age groups. They introduce mathematical concepts and vocabulary purposefully during daily play. For example, staff model descriptive words during routines. Furthermore, staff use clear interactions to support children's language and communication skills. Overall, leaders make sure that the curriculum is typically taught well. However, at times, there is a degree of inconsistency between the delivery of the intended learning. For example, while staff are typically successful at identifying what children enjoy doing, they occasionally focus more on documenting the activity, rather than on interacting with children to extend their learning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders successfully structure learning areas to help prepare older children for school. They carefully adapt these learning goals so that younger children can also join in at their own pace. Staff provide targeted help and make secure adaptations to ensure that the curriculum is inclusive for all children. For instance, staff use visual aids and specific learning tools to make activities accessible to everyone. Leaders combine a variety of different teaching methods across the curriculum, such as forest school, beach school and a Montessori classroom. They use these to provide more well-rounded learning opportunities, such as to help children build independence and learn to stay safe.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Staff generally ensure that children who require extra help receive effective support through tailored and typically high-quality care that promotes their development. For example, staff collaborate closely with portage workers and occupational therapists to manage care for children with identified developmental needs. They successfully implement specialist advice to help children to develop small-muscle control. This includes practising handling open cups securely during daily routines. Staff often receive additional training and support to implement these inclusive approaches across the nursery. This joint work ensures that individual care plans remain responsive to each child's circumstances.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders maintain a secure understanding of children's individual needs and their ongoing progress. They use appropriate evidence to inform their decisions about targeted funding, ensuring all families access equal learning opportunities. Staff share targets during regular review meetings with parents and carers to build a shared approach to home learning. Typically, leaders identify children's needs quickly and accurately, including any emerging or changing developmental difficulties. Staff maintain high expectations for all children. They provide regular help to make learning accessible and support children's wellbeing.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work closely with outside professionals and children's social care services. They ask for and use advice from specialist teams whenever it is needed to support children and their families. For instance, leaders take part in joint planning meetings with speech therapists, health visitors and family support workers. This regular collaboration ensures that targeted help is organised quickly for children who need extra support with their learning and wellbeing.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders promote a supportive and inclusive work environment across the nursery. They implement an open-door policy to protect staff wellbeing and carefully manage workloads. Leaders remain approachable and involved on the ground daily. To help staff connect outside of work, leaders have developed inclusive sports clubs. They use thorough safer recruitment practices and digital tracking software to manage all staff background checks effectively and efficiently.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide regular, relevant and appropriate training to all staff members. However, they have not checked that staff's understanding of all of the training is consistent. This leads to some minor inconsistencies in staff practice and children's day-to-day experiences. Leaders have taken action to review their procedures for outings, particularly during transitional times. This ensures all children remain accounted for and are always effectively supervised. Furthermore, leaders have ensured all staff, including those with lead roles for safeguarding, have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their responsibilities. This supports an open culture of safeguarding where children's safety and welfare are promoted as a priority. Leaders demonstrate a secure understanding of the nursery's unique community context. They understand the varied background characteristics of the families who attend. Leaders

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

listen carefully to parent feedback and collaborate effectively with external professionals to review service choices. They establish supportive links with nearby services, including neighbourhood libraries and local businesses, to create real-life learning opportunities for children. Parents feel valued because leaders are responsive, accessible and share helpful updates about daily nursery routines consistently.

p.5

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

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

p.5

Register

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

p.5

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

Children experience a welcoming, calm and nurturing environment, where staff know them well and support their individual needs. Most children separate confidently from their parents and carers at drop-off times and settle quickly, supported by secure bonds with staff. For children who struggle with separation, staff provide close emotional comfort. They use tools, such as family photo books, successfully to provide reassurance and establish a sense of belonging at the start of the day. Children move around the environment with confidence, independently accessing resources. They take part in regular outdoor play and forest and beach school activities. Children benefit from minibus trips to explore local parks and neighbourhood spaces. For example, they take walks in the community to a local quay.

p.5

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

Children typically demonstrate positive behaviour and a clear awareness of the nursery's rules. They treat each other with kindness and practise turn-taking. Children manage their self-care and hygiene routines well, independently washing their hands before eating.

p.5

About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2857713 During mealtimes, children show positive levels of independence. At snack time, they serve themselves using spoons and pour water from open glass jugs into cups. Children clear away their dirty bowls onto a trolley when finished.

p.6

About this setting

Children participate well in activities tailored to their individual needs. Babies and toddlers explore sensory resources and materials with curiosity. They take part in creative imaginative play. For example, children pretend to fly to the moon while wearing colanders as space helmets. Children expand their literacy and mathematical language. They use terms such as 'full' and 'empty' during water play and use toy diggers to scoop soil in the mud kitchen. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve typical progress from their starting points. They benefit from targeted communication strategies, such as the use of sign language, and an adapted outdoor layout that supports their accessibility.

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should strengthen the support for staff to address minor inconsistencies in their practice. Leaders should review their monitoring arrangements to better assess staff's understanding and comprehension of training.

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that the provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development, and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

p.6

About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

p.6

Address:

1-3 Broadbridge Business Centre Delling Lane, Bosham Chichester PO18 8NF

p.7

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.7

Address:

Registered person: Little Diggers Montessori Bosham Ltd

p.7

Address:

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

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.7

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.8

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.8

Needs attention

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

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.8

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.8

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.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8