Inspection of Gina’s Montessori Nursery

140 Morley Hill, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 0BG

Inspection date:

12 December 2019

Overall effectiveness

Good

The quality of education

Good

Behaviour and attitudes

Good

Personal development

Good

Leadership and management

Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection

Good

 

 

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this stimulating learning environment. They arrive happy and eager to learn. Key persons work very closely with parents to help children settle and feel secure. Younger children develop close attachments to their key person and know when to seek support. Children behave well and form positive relationships with staff. They display good manners and are kind and respectful. For example, they help with lunchtime routines and take pride in carrying out tasks for themselves. The quality of teaching is good. Children enjoy listening to stories, and older children use their phonic knowledge enthusiastically to sound out words. Staff skilfully ask questions to inspire children’s ideas. These practices help to support children’s early literacy and communication skills well.

However, at times, staff do not provide enough challenge to extend older children’s mathematical development, such as making simple calculations. Children have plenty of fun as they take part in physical play opportunities. For example, they enjoyed a music session where they explored the different sounds that musical instruments make. They eagerly danced and sang along to rhymes.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?
  •  The manager and staff set high expectations for each individual child and provide a well-designed curriculum. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning from their different starting points. Staff regularly track children’s progress to inform their curriculum planning. However, at times, staff do not act upon their day-to- day observations when deciding what children need to learn next.
  •  Staff create a learning atmosphere where children have enormous fun, for example playing with foam and adding glitter to their Christmas stockings. Staff extend children’s learning by asking them questions that make them think, make links to their prior learning and develop their language skills and creativity.
  • Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their independence skills. For example, children display high levels of confidence as they move around freely to explore. They learn to lead their play and persevere well to complete tasks, such as making models with shapes.
  • Children have good opportunities to learn about the differences between themselves and others. They relate well to each other, develop good friendships and social skills. For example they share and take turns to use the resources. Children adopt good hygiene routines and enjoy regular fresh air.
  • Children use their imagination well. For example, they talked about sharks and fish in the pretend pond they made in the garden. Older children are confident in their knowledge of the sounds that letters represent and can write their names correctly. However, staff do not consistently build on children’s familiarity with shapes and counting by developing their mathematical and problem-solving skills, such as making simple calculations.
  • The manager evaluates the provision well. She considers the views of the local authority early years coordinator, staff, parents and children. This helps to raise the quality of the provision and children’s overall learning experiences. The manager has addressed the recommendations made at the previous inspection. For example, small-group times are now well prepared and thoughtful to ensure that all children can concentrate and be engaged for longer periods.
  • Staff establish very good and effective partnerships with parents and other professionals to help meet children’s individual needs and support their learning and care. Information about children’s progress is regularly shared with parents. Parents spoken to during the inspection described the staff as ‘very caring’, ‘friendly’ and ‘positive’. They feel that staff have helped their children to make very good progress in their learning and development.”

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive regular safeguarding and first-aid training. The manager and her staff team demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding. They know about the signs that indicate a child may be at risk of harm and how to report a concern. All staff are well qualified and are supported well by the manager to gain further qualifications. Rigorous risk assessments are carried out in the nursery and swift action is taken to minimise identified hazards.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

  • use observations to plan more precisely for the next steps in children’s learning
  • provide more challenging activities to extend older children’s mathematical and problem-solving skills.

Setting details

Unique reference number

135291

Local authority

Enfield

Inspection number

10060559

Type of provision

Childcare on non-domestic premises

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register

Day care type

Full day care

Age range of children

2 to 8

Total number of places

14

Number of children on roll

24

Name of registered person

Ferriter, Gina

Registered person unique reference number

RP514458

Telephone number

020 8482 3881

Date of previous inspection

2 December 2015

Information about this early years setting

Gina’s Montessori Nursery registered in 1993. The nursery is situated in the London Borough of Enfield and is open from 8.30am until 4pm every weekday, during term time only. The nursery offers a Montessori programme. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs four members of staff, all of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3 and above. The manager/provider holds a level 7 relevant childcare qualification.

Information about this inspection

Inspector

Yasmine Hurley

 

 

Inspection activities

  •  The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager, observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children’s learning.
  • The inspector completed an evaluation of an activity with the manager.
  • The inspector talked to the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She also spoke to parents to gain their feedback.
  • The inspector sampled relevant documentation, including children’s records and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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.

If you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.