Welcome to the Childrens room, the first Montessori school in South Wales

The Children's Room is situated in the residential area of Uplands, Swansea. The nursery occupies the ground floor of a residential property and consists of two classrooms with access to a small outside courtyard.

A park/communal garden area is located directly opposite the nursery and is used on a daily basis.

The Children's Room is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during term times. The nursery offers a variety of part time or full time care and is registered to take 16 children at any one time. Twenty-five children aged 2 to 3 years are currently on the nursery roll.

The nursery is led by the proprietor and four other members of staff. All staff hold an appropriate childcare qualification and two members of staff are Montessori qualified.

The Children's Room offers a calm and inviting environment that supports the nursery's overall aim of fostering the children's personal, social and emotional skills. Adults are excellent role models, quietly observing and interacting when children require guidance and support.

The children have access to flow freely between the two classrooms and the small outside courtyard. Activities and resources are easily accessible by all children, allowing them opportunities to spontaneously work and play. Children are consistently involved and engaged with their chosen activity; this is clear evidence in practice of the nursery's ethos of nurturing positive attitudes to learning.

Learning and Development:

The Children's Room promotes independence and spontaneous work. Children are free to move between the rooms, being directed by their natural work rhythm. The areas of learning are defined with Practical Life activities and skills that effectively meet the needs of the majority of the 2 year old children who attend the school. Through their ability to access resources independently, enabling them to collect, sort, match, and compare a variety of different objects, the children showed high levels of motivation and curiosity about things and processes. These resources are accessible in both rooms and the outside courtyard.

Children need to self-register for the outside area, as only six children are allowed outside at any one time. Children choose a necklace and wait their turn if no necklace is available.

Developmental records are kept in accordance with the Montessori Curriculum and in line with the Early Years Foundation Phase (Wales). Notes are made daily of activities the children use. However, opportunities are missed to record more in-depth observations which would provide a clearer insight into the child's progress. Longer observation would give evidence of connections between areas of learning, providing the key-person with clear information to record 'where the child is at' and 'where the child might go next'.

The team support each other and act as guides and role models, facilitating children's learning yet stepping back when required.

Prepared Environment: resources and materials:

The classrooms are organised according to the Montessori curriculum and areas of learning.

A good range of materials are available and appropriate for the age group, with a high emphasis on all areas of practical life skills and early stages of sensorial resources. Materials and activities are of good quality and attention to detail and maintenance of the environment is good.

Space is sometimes limited and movement within the rooms can be challenging. Access to creativity and opportunities for imagination, free expression and the ability to make connections and including the opportunities to repeat activities are missed by not having more creativity activities freely accessible for the children.  

Floor space is limited and thus hinders freedom of movement and spacial awareness of the younger children in the group. More attention should be given to the accessibility of the sensorial equipment.

Adults support the children's movement and make suggestions where mats can be placed, but initiative and independent thinking are limited because of this interruption to the child's flow of activity and rhythm of work.

Montessori practice: independence: independence, independence at home, freedom, respect.

At The Children's Room all children demonstrate great levels of independence. They access activities and resources themselves and clearly respect the ground rules of the nursery, responding positively to aspects of safeguarding by reminding and showing their friends how to do things. This was particularly evident when the children interacted with the rabbits. Children choose to spontaneously work and play individually, in pairs or in a small group and are respectful of each other. Levels of concentration are good.

A rolling snack system is effective in enabling children to eat at their preferred pace. An adult facilitates the smaller children, supporting and presenting specific skills including buttering toast.

Children change out of their outside shoes on arrival and again when they visit the park, thus providing plenty of opportunities to learn the necessary skills for dressing themselves. Parents support children's independence, especially on arrival at school when children are encouraged to do this for themselves.

The team work effectively together and this contributes to the active, happy learning environment.

Montessori Practice: links with parents, including reports and records:

The Children's Room provides good opportunities for parental involvement. In particular parents welcome the daily positive informal communication they have with all team members.

The entrance hall is fully utilized with information regarding the nursery, the Montessori curriculum, current newsletters and upcoming events. The annual Christmas party has now become an extended family event that takes place in a nearby community hall.

There is a co-ordinator for health and safety, SEN, child protection, first aid and food hygiene. Staff meetings are clearly recorded and provide a time for reflection and review of procedures and outcomes.

Links with the local authority are good and include support for children with Learning Difficulties.

Staffing:

Team work is exceptionally good and this creates a welcoming atmosphere for the children thus enhancing confidence for all.

The staffing and responsibilities of each team member are clearly defined. During the annual appraisal these are referred to and reflected upon as part of the on-going development plan. Documentation for all aspects relating to safeguarding and children's welfare in line with Welsh legislation is in place. A format for peer observation would enhance the current system effectively.

Training over the last year and for the immediate future is focused on the Montessori Philosophy. This supports the on-going commitment to implementing the Montessori Curriculum by the leader and the team and is highlighted effectively through the planned training with involvement on the Montessori Infant/Toddler workshop.

The leadership of the team is strong and effectively promotes the important aspect of trust, thus enabling all members to actively respond loyally to the delegation of roles for areas of responsibility