URN 2538535 · Inspected 2026-02-25 · Published 2026-05-05 · Inspector: Sandra Teacher
Grange Montessori Unique reference number (URN): 2538535 Address: 15a Grange Road, London, Middlesex, W5 5QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 19/06/2019 Registers: EYR Registered person: Montessori Training And Education Ltd Inspection report: 25 February 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 Expected standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders and staff create an environment that is both joyful and calm, enabling children to thrive. Expectations are clearly established and consistently reinforced from the youngest age, ensuring that children understand routines and know what to expect throughout the day. This strong sense of structure supports their confidence and fosters a deep sense of belonging. Staff skilfully adapt expectations to reflect children's developmental stages, reducing barriers to learning and ensuring all children can succeed. Babies and young children form exceptionally secure attachments with staff, allowing them to settle quickly and engage in learning. Leaders work in close partnership with parents and carers, providing timely guidance and reminders about the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. This collaboration significantly enhances children's readiness for learning and for school. Children's behaviour is exemplary. This is the result of consistent approaches and the strong emphasis staff place on developing children's emotional and social skills. Staff respond swiftly and sensitively to support children in managing frustrations, guiding them to resolve conflicts, collaborate with peers and understand the impact of their behaviour on others. Children develop a strong awareness of feelings and emotions, including recognising that others may have different levels of understanding. They are increasingly able to self- regulate and articulate their emotions. They understand the purpose of rules and demonstrate a growing ability to assess and manage risk safely, for example, when navigating stairs. This is underpinned by staff's consistently thoughtful interactions and high- quality teaching. Achievement Expected standard Children show great curiosity as they enjoy exploring the lively play environment using all their senses. They find out about the properties of a broad range of accessible materials, including sand, water, mud, oats and flour. Young children carefully pour their milk or water into an open beaker to drink and relish the praise they receive from the staff. Children are keen to complete tasks and solve problems by themselves, saying: 'I don't need any help.' Young children concentrate well on tasks, such as helping to tidy up outdoors before going into the playroom. This shows they are building their confidence, independence and self- esteem in readiness for future learning. Older children independently visit the office to seek out reward stickers, when they know they have done a 'good job'. Consequently, children are prepared well for the next stage in their education, including the transition to school. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, become able communicators, who are keen to share their own preferences and interests with the adults. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing, creating a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment. Secure, responsive relationships between key persons and children help babies and young children feel valued, confident and settled. Staff know children well and meet their individual needs, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face additional challenges, ensuring that all children thrive. Routines are carefully planned to support personal care, feeding and sleep. For example, staff adapt sleep time for young children who need extra support. They guide young children to wash hands independently, feed themselves and encourage older children to manage personal belongings. Children are supported to make healthy choices, including balanced meals and daily outdoor play. Brushing their teeth daily and visits from a dentist, also ensures that children are being given a good foundation in oral health. Children are guided to recognise and manage their emotions, express feelings and develop confidence in social situations. As a result, they feel secure, happy and supported. Children develop resilience, healthy habits and a sense of emotional wellbeing, enabling them to engage fully in learning, such as identifying the continents on a globe. Inclusion Expected standard Although there are currently no children attending the setting with special educational needs and/or disabilities or known to social care, staff demonstrate an understanding of inclusive practice and early intervention. They speak confidently about children they have supported previously, describing how they might identify developmental delays at an early stage through observation and ongoing assessment. In response, they would adapt their environment to ensure that children could access learning and continue to participate meaningfully. Leaders are aware of the funding available to support families in the community. They know where to find further support with the local authority when needed. Staff regularly assess children to help them to know where they are in their development. This helps them to plan appropriate activities and arrange additional support if needed. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders and those responsible for governance are committed to providing high-quality care and education. They know what they do well and identify areas for development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing barriers to learning, receive targeted support, helping them to make progress from their starting points. Staff take part in regular training and most are working to increase their qualifications. Leaders monitor workload and wellbeing to support staff retention and morale. However, leaders have not yet fully built on this secure foundation. Professional development is not always sharply focused on improving specific aspects of teaching, and this means that highly effective practice is not yet embedded consistently across the Needs attention provision. As a result, there is some variation in the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning. In addition, leaders and those responsible for governance have not consistently ensured that all policies and practices are fully up to date with current requirements. While this has not had a significant impact on children, this has been addressed. Partnerships with parents, professionals and external agencies support children and families effectively. Staff share regular updates with parents and work with the local authority, where appropriate, to ensure children who need additional help are identified and supported in a timely way. Curriculum and teaching Needs attention Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. Generally, staff understand the curriculum and how to teach this. There are, however, some inconsistencies in staff teaching across the nursery. Some staff, especially those who are at the beginning of their professional journey, do not always demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to implement the curriculum effectively. For example, there are times when staff do not identify or seize opportunities to extend children's learning. Staff organise the environment so that children are motivated to engage in the learning opportunities available. They provide a range of exploratory activities that interest children and contribute to the development of their skills across all areas of learning. For example, children confidently sing songs about the months of the year and the days of the week. They talk about the weather and staff provide them with praise and encouragement. This inspires the children to repeat the activities and develop a positive sense of themselves. Staff use effective ongoing assessment to understand the differing developmental needs of children and adapt their planning and teaching so that all children are included. There is an abundance of opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills, as staff constantly interact with children and help them to learn new language. Babies take part in range of activities, where they learn about different sounds and movement. They copy actions and learn to be sociable with other babies in the group. Staff accurately identify what stage children are at in their development and set suitable learning targets for them to continue making progress. What it's like to be a child at this setting Babies and young children at this nursery are happy, settled and motivated to learn. They benefit from a warm, nurturing environment, both indoors and outdoors. Staff value family contributions and use information about children's routines, interests and home experiences to ensure every child feels recognised, understood and celebrated as an individual. Children build trusting relationships with caring staff, who are attentive to their needs. Babies seek comfort from staff, when unsettled, and young children sleep peacefully in comfortable surroundings. Behaviour is exemplary; children play cooperatively, learning to share and take turns. Those who find learning more challenging make secure progress through timely, tailored support. Staff provide engaging, age-appropriate activities that reflect children's interests, supporting secure progress from their starting points. Young children show concentration and develop hand strength while moulding and shaping dough. Babies begin to explore early mathematical concepts as they fill and empty containers. Staff enrich learning by encouraging sensory exploration and introducing descriptive language, such as words, to explain textures. Communication and language development are well supported, including for children who speak additional languages. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations, for example discussing weather, seasonal changes and natural elements during outdoor play. Children develop a strong interest in books and stories. They enjoy sharing picture books with staff, while older children listen attentively to short stories. Opportunities to create personal books about themselves and their families help strengthen their sense of belonging and identity, such as making gifts for Mother's Day. Children enthusiastically participate in songs and rhymes throughout the day. Physical development is promoted through varied activities. Babies build core strength by standing at low-level surfaces, while older children run, climb and balance, using a range of indoor and outdoor equipment. Next steps To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following action by the assigned date: Action Completion Date leaders should consistently implement the planned curriculum 30/04/2026 Leaders should continue monitoring and reviewing policies and practices to ensure they fully reflect current requirements. Leaders should strengthen arrangements for providing staff with more precisely focused individual professional development opportunities. Inspector: Sandra Teacher About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2538535 Address: 15a Grange Road London Middlesex W5 5QN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 19/06/2019 Registered person: Montessori Training And Education Ltd Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 19:00,Monday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Ealing Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 25 February 2026 Children numbers About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, all staff and children 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 1 to 4 Total number of places 88 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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