Cute Kids Montessori Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children make good progress in their learning and development. Children arrive at the nursery ready to learn.

Children enjoy a wide range of interesting and exciting opportunities on offer to them. They have ready access to the outdoors and engage in meaningful and purposeful learning, both indoors and out. For instance, babies enjoy action nursery rhymes.

They also engage with physical activities such as riding tricycles and water play outdoors. Young children take part in science experiments to find out how much objects weigh. They have opportunity to learn about life cycles of plants by nursing tomatoes and potatoes..., which they cultivated in the garden.

Children have access to a broad curriculum and engaging environment. This ensures that children benefit from diverse experiences. Children are safe and content.

Young children communicate their needs and follow adult instructions. Babies express preferences and respond to adult instructions appropriately. This supports children's confidence and self-esteem.

Staff provide a curriculum covering all areas of learning that builds on what children know and can do. Staff observe children and use this information to plan activities around children's interests. However, occasionally, during settling-in times, key persons do have fewer opportunities to collect relevant information on babies from parents, to enable them plan next steps in babies' learning.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Young children are developing good early literacy skills. They listen attentively to stories, and they recall lines with enthusiasm. During small-group activities, staff help children to learn about letters and sounds.

Staff sound out letters. Young children practise writing letters which are meaningful to them. Staff offer lots of praise and encouragement.

Staff encourage children's communication and language development effectively. Staff use repetition of songs and activities to build children's vocabulary, memory, and ability to recall facts. For example, young children are able to explain why objects sink or float in water.

They also explain about the weight of objects.The manager has effective recruitment and supervision processes. Staff feel well supported.

Staff use training and development well to deepen their understanding and build on their practice.The manager forms strong parent partnerships. For example, she seeks parents' views on how to improve the provision.

Babies engage in purposeful play. For example, they take part in mark-marking activities such as painting with their fingers. They also mark make by running their fingers through flour on a tuff-tray.

They learn about textures while strengthening their fine and gross motor skills. These also introduce them to early writing skills.Parents confirm that their children have settled well, despite some of the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Parents comment that the nursery staff are 'flexible and that their children have settled in well', 'staff tell me what to work on at home', 'children are coming home with new words'. They also confirm that management has adapted ways of communicating with them to include WhatsApp messaging and Facetime. However, key persons have a fewer opportunities to meet parents during transitions.

Therefore, key persons do not always have the relevant information, from the beginning, to ensure the new key person has a full understanding of children's learning needs.The behaviour of children is good. Staff have high expectation of children's behaviour and act as role models to children.

Children learn to share and take turns in an orderly manner. For example, during mealtimes, children take turns to be 'helpers' in sharing meals to peers. They listen to adults' instruction and take action.

Young children communicate their needs freely and independently. Staff praise children to encourage good behaviour. This supports their self-esteem and confidence.

The manager and staff act with integrity to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they seek help from specialist at the local authority for strategies to support children with behaviour challenges.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents do not currently enter the setting. Children are greeted outside in the fresh air. This means staff can engage in meaningful conversations in a safe and a socially distanced way.

The manager and staff have a good awareness of their roles and responsibilities to protect children's welfare. The manager and staff are also aware of wider safeguarding issues, such as recognising when children are at risk of exposure to extreme views and behaviours. They are confident in following the referral procedures, if required.

The manager has a rigorous staff recruitment procedure in place. This ensures that only suitable people are employed to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the key-person approach to provide more consistent opportunities for parents to share their children's needs, interests and learning from the start.