Patchwork Montessori Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and confident at the nursery. They look forward to their nursery days and settle extremely well. They quickly build warm and affectionate attachments to staff, who provide nurturing care and attention.

Children develop high levels of independence. They choose activities, practise their skills and know how to put resources back in the correct place.Children are engaged throughout the day and this ensures that their behaviour is good.

They learn good manners and how to communicate positively and effectively from the staff. For example, children say 'please' and 'thank you', often without a prompt, and ...treat toys with care and respect. Staff are attentive and patient, and are good role models to the children.

Children's early literacy skills are well supported. There is a wealth of opportunities for them to practise their mark-making and writing skills. Older children are learning about letters that are significant for them.

For example, staff encourage children to write and recognise their names at regular times throughout a nursery day. Children develop good mathematical understanding as they scoop and transport the water, using pumps, jugs and funnels. Staff use indoor and outdoor activities to introduce counting, colours and shapes.

However, on occasions, staff ask children questions but do not allow them time to think and respond.

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

The manager and her staff work well together as an enthusiastic and dedicated team. They are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children.

Staff plan a broad and exciting curriculum that supports children to make good progress from their starting points and develop the skills they need for future learning effectively.Professional development is strong. Staff say that they are very well supported.

Newer members of staff value the support that they are given from other members of staff, as well as managers. Staff are encouraged to further their own qualifications and careers.Children lead healthy lives at nursery.

They demonstrate this as they tuck into appetising and nutritious meals and snacks. In addition, they learn the importance of good hygiene and have the opportunity to play energetically inside and in the exciting garden.The manager monitors staff closely and observes them in their role.

She makes suggestions as to how staff can improve their practice further and plans targeted training opportunities to help them to develop their knowledge and skills. Since the last inspection, staff have also had opportunities to learn from each other and share their skills and expertise, through peer-to-peer observations.However, there is still scope for continuous professional development opportunities to focus even more precisely on raising teaching practice to the highest level.

Staff prepare children for life, helping them to learn about respecting others and developing their understanding of the similarities and differences of the friends and staff around them. Children are given a range of rich experiences to understand how different people live and how they celebrate.Children engage in meaningful conversations with staff.

Staff use skilful questioning to encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas and expand on conversations. For example, children are encouraged to think what they could use to make their snowman like a character from a popular film. However, sometimes, staff are not mindful enough of giving children sufficient thinking time when asking questions before they provide the answer themselves.

For some children, this does not give them the opportunity to offer their own ideas, thoughts or suggestions.Staff successfully support children's developing self-care skills and encourage good hygiene routines. For example, they introduce toilet-training to younger children and encourage them to wash their hands themselves before eating.

Older children use the bathroom independently. This helps to support their physical health and well-being.Staff use a variety of ways to promote children's communication and language development, including children who speak English as an additional language.

For example, staff share dual-language books and compact discs with children and parents. In addition, they use sign language with the children to support their communication and language skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding policies. They know how to help keep children safe and protect their welfare. Staff all have a good understanding of all requirements and documentation, such as the 'Prevent' duty guidance.

They have attended additional training to ensure that their knowledge is current and well embedded. This includes training in relation to female genital mutilation. Staff discuss safeguarding routinely, including in team meetings and at regular supervision meetings.

All staff are alert to possible indicators of when a child may need help. They have a secure understanding of who to contact if they need guidance or to raise a concern.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the good systems for staff supervision and support to develop their skills further, to help enrich the practice and raise the teaching to an even higher level nincrease staff's expectations during their interactions with children so that children are consistently given more thinking time to offer their own ideas, thoughts or suggestions.