Blackheath Montessori Centre

Blackheath Montessori Centre
Unique reference number (URN): 129010
Address: Independents Road, Blackheath, London, SE3 9LF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 15/12/1983
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Blackheath Montessori Centre Limited
Inspection report: 4 March 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and
those who face barriers to learning, routinely make independent choices for learning across
all areas of the curriculum and consistently achieve well from their starting points. Children
learn to develop social skills as they play with friends. They develop gross motor skills, such
as throwing balls into basketball hoops, climbing on equipment, sliding down slides and
travelling across obstacles. They develop small-muscle skills, such as building with
construction in the sand and manipulating play dough into shapes, as they represent the
festival of colour, 'Holi'. Children explore pouring sand into measured containers. They count
objects, recognise numbers, develop mathematical language and extend imaginative play.
Children independently look at books, confidently talk about what they are learning, and
recognise their own and their friends' names. They practise mark making and letter
formation and learn to write their names. Leaders and practitioners prepare children very
well for their next stage of learning and school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders and practitioners consistently create a harmonious environment in which children
flourish and thrive. They establish high expectations for routines, behaviour and attitudes, all
of which are embedded in the setting. Leaders and practitioners use the 'Be rules' approach,
which focuses on the positive behaviour that they want to see. For example, 'walking feet'.
This encourages children to consistently strive to show positive attitudes to learning.
Children behave well and form positive relationships with their friends and staff. Leaders and
practitioners encourage all children to develop positive attitudes towards behaviour and
learning in line with their age and stage of development. For example, practitioners use a
marble jar to encourage children to develop positive attitudes to learning. This supports
collaborative learning. Children choose their reward and work together as a team to earn the
marbles. It is an inclusive, visual strategy that supports all children to achieve, particularly
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face
barriers to learning. Children feel proud of their achievements and see how well they are
doing collecting marbles as a group.
Consistent, embedded positive routines that promote learning for all children, particularly
children with SEND and those who face barriers to learning, help remove obstacles to
attendance. Children's regular attendance significantly impacts learning. This leads to
steady progress and achievement for all children.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders embed routines that encourage children, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning, to develop long-
lasting, healthy habits. They teach children about healthy food choices and provide a range
of nutritious meals that meet individual needs, including special dietary requirements.

Practitioners serve lunch and involve children as helpers, giving plates to peers. Children
develop independence and self-help skills, learning to use a knife and fork, pour drinks, and
clear their plates. Practitioners sit with children during mealtimes to promote safe eating and
reinforce routines. The 'eat well' plate is used effectively to develop children's understanding
of food groups, and children can confidently explain why different foods are needed.
Lunchtimes are calm, and practitioners are highly responsive to children's emotional
wellbeing. They talk to children about their feelings and what makes them happy, which
supports independent emotional regulation. Leaders help children with SEND manage their
emotions by using their favourite songs to create a calm, enjoyable atmosphere. All children
benefit from listening to music while they eat.
Practitioners also support physical and emotional health through hygiene routines. Children
wash their hands before eating and after toileting, and staff encourage independence.
Nappy changes are carried out privately, with staff using these moments to develop
communication and language. Children who nap have individual mattresses and sleeping
bags in a quiet, supervised room. Secure, caring attachments between practitioners and
children help children flourish and feel safe and cared for.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders provide a highly impactful curriculum, following the Montessori approach, which is
consistently taught well. All children are prepared for their next stage of learning, school and
beyond. Practitioners equip children with the knowledge and skills to develop secure
foundations for learning. High-quality interactions are embedded, and children learn in a
calm environment supported by practitioners who know them well. Learning is tailored to
meet children's individual needs and interests. Progress is rigorously monitored, and next
steps are set to extend children's skills. As a result, children with special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning make rapid progress from
their starting points. All children, including those with SEND, consistently achieve.
Practitioners use clear instructions and explain what children are learning and why. Children
are encouraged to sit and listen attentively, and they independently choose learning from
'the shelf'. Children with SEND are encouraged to make choices and extend their learning
through questioning. For example, they select sound boxes, and practitioners ask questions
to encourage them to compare sounds.
Leaders and practitioners have high expectations for children's learning. They prioritise skills
across the curriculum, including physical and personal, social and emotional development.
Children create splash paintings for Holi, developing fine motor control, and engage in
sports and dance with specialist teachers.
Mathematics is woven into collaborative learning, such as counting earned marbles,
describing textures, and recalling prior learning. Practitioners continuously talk to children to
expand their thinking, knowledge and ideas. As a result, children are ready for school, and
gaps in learning close.

Inclusion Strong standard
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well from their
starting points. They settle well, form strong attachments with the staff and enjoy learning.
Leaders support children in adapting to routines. Staff adjust teaching and resources to
meet children's individual needs.
Designated leaders make observations of what children know and can do. They assist
practitioners in implementing interventions and gather evidence to support children's needs.
Children with SEND are encouraged to achieve their next steps using individual strategies,
such as a personal marble jar. Parents support this strategy and encourage children to
continue using it at home. Parents of children with SEND are delighted with their children's
progress. Designated leaders work with outside agencies, previous settings and schools to
support children's needs, ensuring that learning is tailored effectively to meet children's
individual needs and close any gaps in their learning. For example, children with SEND join
the setting, not talking. As a result of partnership working and ongoing support from speech
therapists, children now talk. Leaders personalise transitions so that children settle quickly.
For example, leaders encourage parents to attend with children until they feel calm, happy
and confident enough to talk. This helps children reach milestones in preparation for their
next stage of learning. As a result of funding, the nursery benefits from an additional staff
member to support children's needs, as well as a table and chairs to facilitate learning and
accommodate education, health and care plan requirements.
Leaders and practitioners consistently make a demonstrable difference to children with
SEND. The changes they make help remove barriers children might face.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders' knowledge of their strengths and areas for development drives improvements and
ensures excellent outcomes for all children. They have focused on improving practice
across the setting, making the nursery a popular choice for parents. Funding is used
effectively to provide high-quality training and enhance provision in rooms and staff areas.
Leaders and practitioners prioritise learning about children and their families. Parent
partnerships are highly effective, and communication is embedded across the setting.
Parents regularly attend special events, annual trips and fundraising activities. Positive
interactions between staff and parents support children's learning, behaviour and
development, aiding progress and smooth transitions to school.
Leaders support practitioners in accessing professional learning and expertise training.
Practitioners are highly qualified and are supported to retrain via experience-based routes or
a Montessori diploma funded by the nursery. Leaders encourage further training in special
educational needs and/or disabilities to support all children's needs. New practitioners
receive an effective induction and feel confident approaching leaders when needed.
Leaders and practitioners are ambitious for children's outcomes. They carry out checks to
ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Children are well prepared for school,

and they are grouped in the setting in a way that encourages them to learn from one another
and develop independence, collaboration, and social skills.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive with parents eager to begin a day of learning. They are warmly greeted by
experienced, long-standing staff who care for them. Children feel secure and happily
separate from their parents. They greet their friends before freely choosing where to begin
their day of learning. Children form positive relationships with others and speak confidently
with their friends. They climb on the indoor climbing frame, closely supervised by staff, and
play with magnets and small bricks as they develop fine motor skills and communication and
language. Staff consistently support children in making independent choices in their
learning. Children behave well; they are polite and learn to use good manners. Parents
attend well at special events and trips and commend leaders of these opportunities to
participate in children's learning. Excellent relationships with parents encourage children,
including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who
face barriers to learning, to attend regularly.
Children with SEND are supported in choosing learning that meets their individual needs.
They learn to use strategies that help them manage their emotional wellbeing, which
suitably prepares children for their next stage of learning, school and beyond. Children's
uniqueness is celebrated. For example, leaders purchase and play children's favourite
music to help them regulate their emotions and close gaps in learning. Children learn
collaboratively; they listen to staff and follow instructions. They are confident independent
learners who consistently have good attainment and, as a result, are well prepared for
school.
Next steps
Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure
continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a
transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their
learning and/or wellbeing.

Inspector:
Michelle Blake
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 129010
Address:
Independents Road
Blackheath
London
SE3 9LF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 15/12/1983
Registered person: Blackheath Montessori Centre Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Lewisham
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 4 March 2026
Children numbers
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, designated leaders, practitioners, children and parents
during the inspection.
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.

Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 4
Total number of places
40
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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