Sheen Montessori Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children run towards this setting, where they are warmly greeted for the start of the day. Older children are very independent and confidently talk as they play. They use a wide range of vocabulary, including mathematical language, to problem solve.

Children ask questions and express their opinions. They demonstrate high levels of concentration as they explore the nursery materials. For example, children self-select resources to link concepts such as quantity to numbers.

Younger children use daily living resources to practise filling and emptying containers. They use small jugs with care, developing their hand-e...ye coordination as they tip and pour. Staff are highly effective teachers.

They know their key children really well and are highly skilled at adapting their teaching techniques to the developmental stage of each individual child. All children, including those who need additional help, make outstanding progress from their starting points. Children behave exceptionally well.

They build warm, respectful relationships with their peers and staff.

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

Staff obtain detailed information about children's care and individual needs from the children's parents. Children settle quickly and build strong relationships with their peers and staff.

Children are extremely well behaved. They move purposefully to find activities or resources that have captured their interest. They are kind and respectful of each other.

They demonstrate turn taking, sharing, and playing cooperatively with autonomy.Staff continuously make accurate observations of children during their play. This information is used highly effectively to build on what individual children know.

Key workers introduce resources to challenge and support children's critical thinking. Staff are highly skilled in guiding and supporting children's learning as they play. They have a secure understanding of how children learn and effectively interact with children to extend and scaffold learning.

Planned adult-led activities commence by reflecting on what children already know. Children become 'little scientists' as staff ask them to consider 'what, how and why'. They engage well, show curiosity and demonstrate extended concentration as they predict possible outcomes of their activity.

They eagerly link experiences. For example, children share what they know about the life cycle of plants, describing how seeds need soil, warmth, water and time to germinate and grow.Practitioners successfully develop children's mathematical knowledge.

Conversations include questions on size and number. Communication and language skills are also well supported. For instance, practitioners sing songs and read books.

They successfully interweave sounds and letters, while asking questions to encourage the children's listening, attention and speaking skills.The setting is highly successful at promoting respect for people, families and communities beyond their own. Staff share information and plan activities to support children to develop their own identity and encourage their self-esteem.

Children have positive attitudes to learning about different cultures, events and celebrations. They demonstrate great regard for others by consistently showing high levels of positive behaviour.Parents universally share how happy they are with their children's progress.

They speak highly of staff and how they really take their time getting to know their children. Parents feel extremely well informed about their children's learning and development. The manager and staff work in partnerships with other professionals, agencies and local schools.

This results in effective and well-coordinated strategies that promote and support children to make exceptional progress.Robust recruitment, regular supervision, access to training and opportunities for mentoring ensure that staff are incredibly well supported in their role. Leaders and managers endorse additional training for all staff to further develop practice and knowledge.

As a result, the staff team is well established, and morale is tremendously high throughout the full team of staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff, from leaders and managers to the newest recruit, are very aware of what they need to do if they were concerned about a child in their care.

Staff confidently talk about what they would do if they were concerned about a colleague's conduct at work. Staff are aware of who they would contact if they were in need of advice or guidance. Safeguarding knowledge is regularly reviewed.

Staff are encouraged to log into online training portals to refresh their knowledge. Safeguarding is also addressed during the team's allocated training days. All staff attend to support discussion amongst the full team.