Earley Montessori Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children love their time at this welcoming and inclusive setting.

They are keen to join in activities as they arrive. Children learn to be independent from the outset. They find their name card to self-register and settle quickly into the routines of the day.

Children are eager to take on responsibilities, such as preparing for snack time. All children do well in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children enjoy the outdoors and have ample opportunities to freely explore the variety of activities on offer.

They happily play alone as well as invite others ...into their play. Children demonstrate good team work as they persevere in challenges they set for themselves. For example, in the construction area, they assign roles and support each other to scoop mud into the model cement mixer.

This impacts positively on children's relationships.Children are well behaved and follow the rules for the setting readily. This helps to ensure that they feel safe and secure.

Children develop a love for books. When stories are read to them, they listen intently and answer questions with increasing confidence. For instance, children show good recall of the different number of fruits the 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' eats on each day of the week.

This helps to support their comprehension of the events in the story.

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

Leaders and staff gather relevant information about children before they start. They use this information to identify what children know and can do.

Staff plan activities based on children's interests and needs. They allow children time to explore freely and intervene as needed. At times, however, staff interactions with children are not as effective as they could be, as they do not consistently challenge children.

For example, children take part in a butterfly hunt in the garden and are asked to recognise number symbols on butterfly cards when they find them. They do this with ease and accuracy. Staff did not take the opportunity to extend or deepen children's mathematical knowledge further.

Children learn to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They energetically climb, run and balance in the garden with growing competency. Children explore which foods are better for them and know that sugary foods are not good for their teeth.

This helps to promote their understanding of good health and well-being.Children are prepared well for the next stage in their education. They are sociable, independent and confident.

Children enjoy the use of water and paintbrushes to make marks on the garden fence. They are encouraged to write their names unaided and talk about the marks they make. This helps them to understand that print carries meaning.

Children demonstrate their natural curiosity in abundance and are excited by learning. They are fascinated by insects, particularly butterflies. Children learn about the different stages in a life cycle of a butterfly.

They experience real-life caterpillars and consider what they may eat. Children are delighted to learn that the caterpillars will turn into butterflies. This supports their understanding of the world around them.

Parents are complimentary of the education and care their children receive at the setting. They have formed trusted relationships with staff and appreciate the verbal feedback about their children's day at the setting. However, parents do not receive detailed information about children's ongoing progress.

They are not helped fully to know how they can support their children's learning at home. This affects children's continuity in learning and their development to a higher level.Leaders have good partnerships with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, as well as local schools that children will move to.

Staff use advice and support offered to plan specific programmes for children, including those with SEND. This approach helps to address persistent gaps in children's learning effectively.Staff incorporate children's home cultures and languages as part of the curriculum.

They share key words in different languages, for example 'hello' and 'goodbye' in Spanish. Children notice similarities and differences between their own home language and those of others. This helps children to feel unique and valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders understand their responsibilities to protect children. Staff know the signs and symptoms that a child might be at risk of harm, including exposure to extremist views and behaviours.

They understand the local procedures to follow should they need to report a concern about a child's welfare. Leaders provide safeguarding updates to staff on a regular basis. They follow robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

Staff make sure that the environment is safe and secure for children. They carry out daily risk assessments to minimise potential hazards.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nestablish more effective systems to regularly inform parents of their children's progress and engage them to be fully involved in their learning strengthen staff's skills of how to extend and maximise children's mathematical knowledge and understanding effectively.