We would be happy to provide you with a full copy of our Ofsted Report on request. In the meantime, here are a few excerpts from the report from June 2007, at which we were given OUTSTANDING Status. You can also read the full report on the Ofsted website.

'Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do
The provision is outstanding. Children enjoy their time at the nursery immensely; they giggle and chat as they play with their peers. Children are valued and treated with respect, staff encourage them to talk and listen; they give children time to ask and answer questions and support them well. Children are regularly thanked for listening or doing something well or kind. For example, the children were thanked for waiting while everyone got ready to come inside from the garden. Children are given time to complete what they are doing by the use of a bell to alert them that it will soon be tidy up time.

Children are confident and secure in their relationships with the staff, they receive consistent meaningful praise and encouragement for all that they do. This encourages the children's self esteem and helps them build a sense of belonging. Children benefit from the relationships their parents have with the staff, parents are valued and are given time to talk; staff stress the importance of the role of the children's parents in their learning and that parents are the children's first educators. Children further benefit from the 'key worker' system that the nursery have in place.

Staff and parents liaise prior to the children starting at the nursery to ensure that their needs are met; ongoing verbal contact is encouraged and maintained to ensure that the changing needs of the children are met. Staff provide regular parents evenings about Birth to three matters and the Foundation Stage to ensure that the parents are knowledgeable in their children's education.

Children develop excellent communication skills; they contribute confidently on a one-to-one-basis, in small groups and at circle times. They are polite and learn to take turns to listen to each other speak. Children are challenged and focused at all times; they are occupied and play well with their peers. Children have many opportunities throughout the session to express themselves both through role play and through creative play. For example, three children played smiling at each other in the role play area, dressed up in beautiful dresses, looking in the mirror and singing with 'pretend' microphones.

Children explore their senses through a wide range of media, materials and resources. For example, they use clay, play dough, small boxes, extremely large boxes, pencils, crayons and others to make 'Stonehenge' and produce 3D models and observational drawings.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION
On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

The quality and standards of the nursery education are outstanding.'

©Crown Copyright 2007. Source: Discovery Montessori School OFSTED report, dated 27th June 2007.

Pre-School Learning Alliance Accreditation - On 24th March 2003, Discovery went through a very rigorous and thorough accreditation with the Pre-school Learning Alliance...and the good news is that we're being recommended for accreditation!!! Achieving something as prestigious as accreditation is down to the whole staff team, their hard work on a day-to-day basis and their excellent practice, commitment to and understanding of young children. Here are some of the lovely comments the assessor gave in her feedback:

- Lovely purpose built environment
- Good staff facilities
- Staff meeting the individual needs of the children and understanding their developmental needs
- Children having access to so many different areas of teh curriculum
- Children being able to choose from a wide range of materials
- Excellent Resources
- Children knowing 'the boundaries' and if they 'push' these boundaries the behaviour is handled appropriately
- Parental communication/information and opportunity for involvement was excellent
- Garden superb and well utilised for activities as well as free play
- Ethos of nursery very good indeed
- Reception area - warm and inviting
- Overwhelming feeling of warmth
- Staff team - very capable and very supportive
- Adult/child interaction excellent
- Classroom set-up well thought through
- Offers wonderful care for children

Important Notice - If you wish for your child to be collected by or go home with someone other than yourself, you will be required to sign a book detailing who the person is. These books will be held in your child's class or in Bright'n'Breezy, should your child attend. When your child is collected, the NAMED person will have to sign your child out. Anyone who has forgotten to sign the book or who has to change arrangements during the morning and needs to telephone the school, will be bale to give me the information; I will then write it in the book myself. This system aims to ensure that:

• Children are kept safe
• Staff communication is effective and monitored
• Parents inform us that someone different will be collecting their child