Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board

School Accreditation

This report is prepared following two accreditation visits made on behalf of the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board. It considers how far the school follows the criteria set out in “The Guide to the EYFS in Montessori Settings” (2008) and subsequent 2012 revisions. The second visit sought to assess the progress made on the recommendations set out in the report from the first visit.

The report does not address the standards and quality issues which are the responsibility of the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) which reports separately. Also the report does not provide any assessment of financial aspects of the school.

The Little Learners Montessori Nursery

St. Agnes Centre,Gillingham Road,Cricklewood, London NW2 1HR

Date of first accreditation visit: Monday 10 December 2012

Date of second accreditation visit: Wednesday 25 March 2013

This accreditation report relates to the provision for children aged from 2 to 5 years

Description of the school
The Little Learners Montessori Nursery is situated in a church centre in Cricklewood. It was established in September 2012 and is privately owned. The school is a sister school to two other Montessori settings in Wembley. The centre has two large classrooms that make up the indoor prepared environment, and the children have free access to both rooms. There is also a small office, a kitchen area and toilet facilities. Outside there is a decking area and a large, secure play area.
There are four members of staff, including a manager who has been appointed by the owner. Two of the team have Montessori diplomas, one has an NVQ level 3 and is training towards an NVQ level 6 and the other member is training to NVQ level 2. Most staff members have undertaken paediatric first aid training and some have training in food hygiene. Hot lunches are supplied by a specialist catering firm.
The setting is open from 8.00 to 18.00 every weekday and children can attend a variety of sessions. The setting is open 50 weeks a year but offers term time only attendance as well. There are currently 29 children enrolled and on the day of the second visit seven children were in attendance. Staff are able to support children with English as an additional language and those with additional needs.

Summary

Although the setting has only been opensince September 2012, it already has a strong Montessori ethos and encourages the children to explore, be active and help arrange their prepared learning environment. It has the benefit of being part of a small group of nurseries and the owner is ensuring that the good practice already in place at the other two settings is emulated in this new nursery.

The school is aware that the parents need to be included as important partners in providing for their child’s learning and development, and practical sessions for parents are planned to support these links. The nursery’s literature is similar to that of the sister settings and offers parents a comprehensive understanding of the school, its philosophy and principles.

The staff demonstrate enthusiasm and a caring approach with the children. The range of Montessori materials is good and is suited to the ages and abilities of the children who attend. The development of independence and practical life skills is encouraged and the freedom to choose within the indoor and outdoor environments is supported. Staff aim to ‘follow the child’ in their daily practice and help children discover the joy of learning.

The school provides an education which follows the principles of the Montessori approach and environment. The school has successfully addressed the points for action recommended on the first visit, and this merits accreditation by the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board. Consideration should be given to the following points for further development:

Continue developingstaff awareness of how to extend each child’s development and how to respond fully to their needs through extra support or guidance.
Continueto implement peer observations within the setting to further enhance staff self-evaluation.
To develop a formal reporting process for school transitions.

Philosophy:
The owner demonstrates a solid understanding of Montessori philosophy and, shows a commitment to providing high quality prepared environments that uphold the principles and practice of Montessori philosophy. The nursery provides activities for children to develop themselves and they enjoy their learning journey in this nurturing Montessori environment. There are good opportunities for self-initiated learning and the development of self-discipline.
Parents are recognised as important partners in providing for their children’s welfare and development and they receive comprehensive explanations of Montessori philosophy and principles through the setting’s literature and website. They are regularly invited to discuss their child’s progress.
The staff’s commitment to Montessori philosophy is evident throughout the setting’s day to day practice and they are developing their team work with this commitment as their central focus.
Learning and Development:
The full range of Montessori materials are set out across both classrooms and are available for the children to choose from throughout the work cycles. They also have free flow access to the garden throughout the day. Staff plan a good range of activities across the week and the children enjoy both adult-led and spontaneous learning activities.
Staff workclosely with each other to plan projects, group and individual activities; all members of the team contribute during the weekly planning meetings. Plans are displayed on each classroom’s notice board and are included in the parents’ monthly newsletters. Planning for individual children is well organised, with good written evidence of the links with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Montessori curriculum. The school’s paperwork is similar to that used in the co-owned nurseries.
All staff members are encouraged to have weekly discussions in order to reflect upon and improve the prepared environment and cater for each individual child’s learning journey. There is flexibility in the delivery of the curriculum in response to the children’s interests.Staff are developing a greater awareness of how to extend the children’s learning and how to respond fully to their needs.They are achieving this through team discussions at weekly meetings and extra training.
Individual progress records are updated daily, these are comprehensive and straightforward to use. They give an immediate picture of a child’s progress, backed up by observations and a scrap book with photographs and samples of work.
Prepared Environment: resources and materials
The Little Learners Montessori Nursery has a good range of Montessori materials which are suited to the ages and stages of development of the children attending. The staff team work hard to maintain an ordered environment, which they are learning to adapt in response to the changing needs of the children.
The materials are set out around the classrooms according to the areas of the Montessori curriculum. They are systematically arranged from simple to complex and are accessible to all the children. The adults understand their role in assisting children and they give priority to the development of communication skills by offering a variety of excellent language and literacy opportunities.
The Little Learners Montessori Nursery is a diverse setting and the materials reflect the respect which is shown for all cultures and religious beliefs. Good use is made of the outside area, with lots of opportunities for exploration, such as messy and water play, creativity, physical development and nature study. The children spend a lot of time outside.
The setting continues to broaden the range of resources offered and has recently introduced a sensory tent with different light gadgets. This has enhanced the environment for children with additional needs by supporting their development and providing them with a quiet and calming place to use.
Little Learners Montessori offers a calm, nurturing learning environment which children play their part in caring for.
Montessori practice: independence, including independence at home, freedom, respect
Staff at Little Learners give precedence to helping each child towards independence. The children are shown how to care for themselves and others. They are given time to achieve tasks without adult interference and enjoy the freedom to choose their activity, with lots of opportunities for exploration and problem solving. The snack area is available throughout each session and children help themselves, preparing their fruit and tidying up after themselves.
Children can choose where and with whom they wish to work. Staff actively encourage them to interact, look after each other and care for the materials together. The Montessori environment and the positive influence of the adults within it help promote the development of children’s confidence. The school has only been opensince September 2012, but the children have already adapted well to the supportive learning environment. Staff are adept at providing for children with English as an additional language, or other needs, and the emphasis placed on communication and social development is evident in the learning opportunities available, such as the snack routine and turn-taking.
The nursery works with families to encourage each child’s independence. This is achieved at the coffee morning practical sessions, by using questionnaires, and through regular verbal contact. Staff share information effectively, explaining to parents what their children are achieving by themselves and making suggestions as to how this can be further encouraged at home.
The setting has a good policy on equality and diversity and encourages respect for others through cultural activities and celebrations. The staff are excellent role models and encourage positive behaviour.
Montessori practice: classroom management
Classroom management is outstanding, the setting is well organised and staff deployment focuses on the needs of the children. As a result, they are confident, talkative and motivated to learn. They enjoy both planned and spontaneous activity, a predictable routine and a full three hour Montessori work cycle during both sessions per day.
The setting’s policies and procedures are shared with its sister settings. These are well written and support effective classroom management. A key person system is in place, but all of the adults interact with all the children. Mutual respect is very evident.
The children who attend in the afternoon or all day have a hot cooked lunch supplied by an outside company (weekly menus are displayed for parents to read), and children rest in a quiet area if they are tired.
The benefits of themixed age grouping are understood by the staff and sharing of knowledge and skills between the children is encouraged.
Montessori Practice: links with parents, including reports and records
The excellent adult routines and close links with families mean that parents feel welcomed and involved, and that their children are well cared for and nurtured. Parents are seen as partners in their children’s learning and development and are made aware of the open door policy. Staff find time for discussions in the morning at drop off and at pick up, and are available at other times to offer additional advice and help.
Parents have access to their children’s records. However, having only recently opened, the settingdoes not yet have written reports or transition reports for those that are going on to school. Staff have made initial contact with the local school and are intending to provide transition reports.
The owner and the manager have overall responsibility for health and safety and daily routines, with the rest of the team helping to maintain an ordered and safe environment.
Record keeping and observation tools are used to monitor progress and closer assessment of individual needs is enhancingthe support that staff are able to offer the children and their families.
Staffing:
There are four members of staff, two of whom have Montessori diplomas, one holds an NVQ level 3 and is training to NVQ level 6 and one is training to NVQ level 2. The staffing structure is well organised and documented, with clearly defined roles. The process of staff induction is thorough and is reviewed once induction has been completed. Training plans are in place which support continued professional development.
Despite this being a new nursery, strong leadership is already apparent and all staff members feel that they have an individual contribution to make to the setting’s development. They have developed a format for peer on peer observations, which staff are finding is enhancing their self-evaluation.
It is clear that the team have a solid understanding of Montessori philosophy and best practice, and are working together to provide this for the children of Little Learners.

Name of Assessor: Hatice D’jelal

Date of reports: First visit – 10/12/2012

Second visit – 29/03/2013