Alexandra Montessori-HestonOfsted report card, 11 Sept 2026

Alexandra Montessori-Heston

Unique reference number (URN): 2814844 Address: 36 Springwell Road, Heston, Houslow, TW5 9EJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/10/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Alexandra Montessori 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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Achievement Strong standard

Children make rapid and sustained progress from their individual starting points. They develop age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Children benefit from meaningful next steps in learning to support their progress. Babies develop increasing confidence and independence through everyday routines. Older children apply their knowledge and skills through a wide range of experiences.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop breadth and depth through a wide range of experiences and everyday routines. They use language to describe tastes, textures and colours. Children apply mathematical ideas through counting and comparison. They develop physical skills outdoors and build independence through washing hands, serving food, pouring drinks and tidying. Children who face additional barriers receive support that is adapted to their needs.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are well prepared for their next stage. They develop confidence, communication, social skills, self-care and positive attitudes to learning. Parents and carers describe clear improvements in children's confidence, independence, communication and social development. Children who have received additional support have developed their skills and become more confident in routines and experiences, supported by adapted strategies and partnership working.

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Achievement Strong standard

The weakness identified in curriculum and teaching has a limited impact on children's overall achievement. Although staff occasionally intervene too quickly during messy and sensory play, children continue to make rapid and sustained progress from their individual starting points. They benefit from a wide range of experiences that develop their knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders identify children's individual needs through the key-person system, observations, information from parents and carers and ongoing assessment. They act when emerging needs or barriers are identified and seek advice from external professionals when required. Staff make appropriate adaptations to help children participate fully, including children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff use children's home languages alongside English, repetition, simple language and visual support to help children understand routines and communicate. Leaders work closely with parents and professionals so that support is coordinated and responsive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The setting has previously supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have used advice from the local authority inclusion team and other professionals, including speech and language therapists and the child development clinic. They explain how they have adapted support as children's needs become clearer, and include visual aids, consistent routines and individualised strategies.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children who have required additional support have made progress from their starting points. They have developed their communication, increased their eye contact, participated

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Expected standard

more successfully in activities and become better able to manage transitions. Leaders also monitor children's attendance and understand how additional funding could be used to reduce barriers if eligible children attend. Parents are involved in decisions about support and receive information to help continue this at home.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave well and develop positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff provide warm attention, encouragement and reassurance. Children receive support to share, take turns and play alongside others. Familiar routines help children to develop independence and positive attitudes to learning. For example, children wash their hands, prepare and serve snack, tidy resources and take responsibility for simple tasks.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff promote attendance with families and monitor patterns of absence, following up concerns when necessary. They make appropriate adjustments to support children's individual circumstances and help children to settle into nursery routines. Children listen to instructions, join activities and are generally engaged when activities capture their interest. Staff praise children when they have a go, follow expectations or complete tasks independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Occasionally, staff are not consistent in how they respond to children's behaviour. At times, staff do not use opportunities to reinforce expectations and help children to understand how their actions affect others. As a result, children do not develop a consistent understanding of feelings, behaviour and routines or have the support they need to manage these more independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from a safe and welcoming environment where they feel secure and cared for. Key-person arrangements support children to settle. Staff understand children's individual routines, dietary needs and developmental stages. Leaders have appropriate policies and procedures for children's welfare, health and wellbeing, which staff generally understand and implement. For example, children independently wash their hands, serve food using tongs, pour their own water and scrape their plates. This helps to develop children's independence through everyday routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play and develop healthy habits through nutritious food, hygiene and toothbrushing. Children brush their teeth after meals and learn why this is important for their oral health. Staff talk to children about healthy food and oral health. They work closely with parents and carers around children's allergies, dietary requirements and introducing new foods and textures. Staff understand safer sleeping arrangements and monitor babies' sleep. Children receive encouragement to make healthy choices and develop positive hygiene habits. Occasionally, staff do not consistently recognise when children become tired during mealtimes and may need additional support. As a result, children do not consistently receive timely support when they become tired during meals.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed a broad and inclusive approach across all areas of learning and development. Staff understand what they want children to learn and provide a range of opportunities to build children's knowledge and skills. The provision reflects the differing needs of babies, toddlers and older children. Staff link planned experiences to children's interests, starting points and next steps. They use observations and staff discussions to identify areas for development. Staff use Romanian alongside English to support children who speak English as an additional language. For example, older children explore different tastes and textures during a practical science activity while learning words, such as 'grainy', 'sticky', 'sour' and 'runny'. Staff interact warmly with children and use open-ended questions, introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to have a go.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from practical experiences, role play, creative activities, sensory play and outdoor learning. Staff incorporate mathematics naturally into children's play. They support communication and language through conversations, songs, stories and first-hand experiences. For example, children learn to count steps, scoops of sand and foam bricks and use mathematical language, such as 'full', 'half', 'taller' and 'shorter'. Staff use assessment and knowledge of children's starting points to identify their next steps. However, staff occasionally intervene too quickly during messy and sensory play, focusing on preventing spills or mess. This can reduce opportunities for children to explore freely, experiment, solve problems and develop their own ideas. As a result, children do not consistently have sufficient opportunities to lead their exploration and extend their learning through play.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the setting's context, strengths and areas for development. They take action to maintain and improve the quality of education and care. Leaders use observations, supervision sessions, appraisals, staff meetings and discussions to monitor practice. They have priorities to improve outdoor provision, including free-flow opportunities and developing forest school experiences. Leaders have strengthened staff understanding of policies through fact sheets, discussions, quizzes and wallet cards. Leaders have recently reviewed and updated policies to reflect changes to statutory requirements. They manage resources appropriately to support provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders include feedback from children, parents and carers, staff and the local authority in their self-evaluation. They also consider children's interests and views as part of this reflection. Leaders also collect parents' feedback through regular questionnaires and frequent verbal feedback. They use this information alongside observations to identify priorities for improvement. Occasionally, self-evaluation and coaching do not identify precise improvements in teaching practice or check that agreed approaches are implemented consistently. As a result, agreed improvements are not always embedded consistently in practice. Leaders support staff wellbeing through supervision sessions, communication and regular professional development. Staff describe leaders as approachable and supportive. Staff receive regular training to develop and maintain their knowledge and skills. Leaders also maintain their own professional knowledge through training and discussions with managers

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents receive regular information through daily discussions at drop-off and collection, parents' meetings, online journals and home-learning opportunities. Leaders work positively with parents and external professionals. They provide workshops on behaviour, healthy eating, online safety and school readiness. The setting has started to support a school in a deprived area of India through fundraising and sending resources.

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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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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

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

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Register

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

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

Children are happy, settled and confident at this welcoming nursery. They form positive relationships with staff, who provide warmth, attention and reassurance. Babies benefit from experiences that reflect their individual stages of development. Toddlers and older children become increasingly comfortable in their surroundings. Children separate from their parents and carers confidently. They enjoy making choices about what they want to do. Children receive encouragement to play alongside others, share resources and take turns. Families are welcomed and kept informed about their children's experiences and progress.

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

Children achieve well from their individual starting points. They develop a wide range of knowledge and skills through play, practical experiences and everyday routines. For example, children count scoops of sand, compare the height of towers and use mathematical language, such as 'full', 'half', 'taller' and 'shorter'. They develop their vocabulary through conversations about animals, colours, tastes and textures. Children who speak English as an additional language receive support to develop their English while continuing to use their home languages. Children enjoy exploring themes and activities that build their knowledge of the world and give them opportunities to follow their interests.

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

Children feel secure and valued because they benefit from a safe and caring environment where their individual needs are understood. They have daily opportunities to play outdoors, develop healthy habits and become increasingly independent. Children learn about their feelings, relationships and how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Staff support children to feel secure, develop independence and take part confidently in routines and experiences.

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

Leaders monitor attendance and work with families when concerns arise. Children who have additional needs receive tailored support and benefit from partnership working with parents and other professionals. Overall, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their next stage. They become increasingly confident in making choices, joining in with others and taking part in routines and experiences. This supports children to feel secure and included.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen staff practice to support children to manage their feelings and behaviour consistently and understand how their actions affect others. Leaders should strengthen practices at mealtimes so staff consistently recognise when children become tired and provide appropriate support to promote their welfare and wellbeing. Leaders should strengthen self-evaluation and coaching so staff consistently give children time to explore, experiment and lead their play, particularly during messy and sensory experiences.

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Address:

36 Springwell Road Heston Houslow TW5 9EJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Alexandra Montessori Limited

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Address:

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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with, leaders, staff, parents and carers and children 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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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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