Best Start Nurseries @ St Marys Montessori

About this day nursery

Best Start Nurseries @ St Marys Montessori in Lutterworth provides full day care for children from 0 to 4 years old, operating Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. The nursery received a "Good" rating in its latest Ofsted inspection on 1 February 2024, maintaining its previous "Good" overall effectiveness.

The curriculum focuses on supporting children's communication and language skills, with staff engaging toddlers in story discussions and encouraging communication. Children are also supported in developing independence, such as washing their hands using a step in the baby room and serving their own lunch in pre-school.

The nursery places a strong emphasis on physical development, with staff assisting babies with walking and climbing, and toddlers with developing hand muscles through activities like rolling dough. Pre-school children are encouraged to explore shapes in their environment.

The manager and staff continually reflect on their practices to enhance opportunities for children, including recently dividing the baby room into two distinct areas for younger and older children to promote safety. Staff development is supported through supervision and appraisal meetings, with room leaders receiving training to assist children with additional needs.

The nursery fosters a sense of belonging by sharing children's diverse life experiences, particularly benefiting those who speak English as an additional language, by discussing their cultures and traditions with them. Parents receive information on their children's care and learning, along with suggestions for home learning activities to support a unified approach to development.

Our ethos

The nursery's approach is centred on children's holistic development, focusing on communication and language through story discussions, fostering independence in daily routines, and encouraging physical development with activities supporting walking, climbing, and fine motor skills. They also emphasise exploration of shapes and a sense of belonging by celebrating diverse cultures. The pedagogy appears to be a blend of child-led exploration and targeted skill development within a supportive, reflective environment.

What it's like

Children receive gentle reminders from staff to use good manners and are supported to take responsibility for keeping the environment tidy. Children's physical skills are supported well, and staff help children to develop their knowledge of shapes.