Inspection of Colourbox Nest Barrow

Town Estate Room, The Street, Barrow, Bury St. Edmunds IP29 5AN

Inspection date: 5 May 2023

Overall effectiveness	Outstanding
The quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection	Not applicable

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive at this highly nurturing and awe-inspiring nursery. They thoroughly enjoy the activities and experiences that are on offer to them. The management team plan a coherent and sequenced curriculum that recognises children’s uniqueness. Children’s communication and language skills are at the heart of this nursery. The nursery is full of energetic, lively and cheerful staff. As a result, children experience high-quality interactions at all times, which motivates them to learn.

You can hear a hive of excitement while children explore the garden. Their curiosity and imagination ignite as they discover a spider in the water tray. Staff read books about spiders to arouse children’s thirst for new learning. Children become completely engrossed as they learn about different spiders, their size and colour. They squeal with delight as the spider moves and they look to see how many legs it has.

Children play collaboratively together. They take turns and share as they pour the water into different containers and trays. They laugh and giggle as they watch patterns appear as they splash the water. Staff narrate children’s thoughts and ideas, which promotes critical thinking. For example, they talk about how the water feels. Children call out ‘hot’, ‘warm’ and ‘it’s cold’. They are confident in communicating and use a rich and extensive vocabulary in relation to their age.

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

This exceptional nursery continually strives for excellence. The management team monitors every aspect of the nursery to ensure that provision remains highly effective. Staff develop an in-depth understanding of the Montessori method of teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching across this inclusive setting is exemplary.
The curriculum is meticulously planned and embedded across the nursery. The highly skilled staff have an exceptional understanding of how children learn. Children thrive as their experiences are consistently built on and tailored to their specific needs. The Montessori principles of learning are thoroughly embedded in practice. As a result, children become lifelong learners and make outstanding progress.
Staff foster opportunities to promote children’s understanding of personal safety. Children are beginning to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, children know they need to wear a safety helmet when riding a bicycle. They confidently approach an adult and point to the bicycle and say, ‘bicycle’, and then point to the safety helmet and say, ‘hat’. Once children are wearing their safety helmet, they join their friends and pedal around the garden.
Children behave exceptionally well and have excellent manners. Younger children sign ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Children understand the setting’s established routines and boundaries. For example, children know to tidy away their toys when they have finished playing with them and know to wash their hands before eating.
Staff have incredibly high expectations of children. They ignite and motivate them. Staff encourage children to be resilient, have a ‘can-do’ attitude and be incredibly independent. For example, at mealtimes children serve themselves using large serving spoons. They confidently carry their plate back to the table and join their friends. Children put on their shoes when going outside. Younger children persevere as they put their shoes on and seek support from an adult if needed.
Children develop a deep love of stories and books. They become enthralled as staff bring the story to life. Staff stimulate children’s curiosity as they read descriptive words with enthusiasm. Children excitedly join in with repeated refrains. All children remain highly engaged and captivated throughout.
Staff are exceedingly skilful in promoting meaningful mathematical learning throughout the daily routines. Children enjoy number rhymes and use their fingers to help them count as they sing. Staff use the Montessori resources to help develop children’s understanding of positional language, such as ‘next to’, ‘behind’ and ‘under’. As children play in the sensory room, they tell staff they are ‘under’ the mirror. Children are retaining and recall embedded knowledge.
Parents are extremely complimentary about the nursery and staff. Parents comment that staff truly go ‘above and beyond’ with the support they offer them. They comment on the incredible progress their children are making in the nursery. Parents state their children regularly come home and demonstrate the new skills and vocabulary they have learned. They say that all staff are ‘wonderful’ and know their children really well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The management team and staff demonstrate extensive knowledge of the types of abuse and indicators that might alert them of a child being at risk of harm and abuse. All staff and managers know how to report any concerns to the appropriate authority for investigation. Managers and staff update their safeguarding knowledge frequently. They complete face-to-face training and use in-house training to refresh their knowledge. The management team has robust recruitment procedures in place. All new staff complete a thorough induction, which includes indepth knowledge of the nursery’s safeguarding policies and safeguarding training.

Setting details

Unique reference number	2636542
Local authority	Suffolk
Inspection number	10285689
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 at time of inspection	0 to 1
Total number of places	12
Number of children on roll	22
Name of registered person	Colourbox Montessori School Ltd
Registered person unique reference number	RP903381
Telephone number	07565 359139
Date of previous inspection	Not applicable

Information about this early years setting

Colourbox Nest Barrow registered in 2021 and is situated in Barrow Suffolk. It is one of seven settings run by the same management team. It follows the Montessori approach to education. The setting employs nine members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The setting opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm.

Information about this inspection

Inspector
Diane Middleton

Inspection activities

This was the setting’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.
The inspector and the operational manager completed a learning walk and discussed the provision and the curriculum.
The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection and completed a joint observation with the operational manager.
The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.
The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of written testimonials.
Children spoke and engaged with the inspector during the inspection.
Discussions were held between the staff and the inspector to help establish their understanding of how to safeguard the children in their care.

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.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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