Rainbow Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy the sunshine in the well-resourced and well-planned outside area. They play well together, building friendships and solving problems. The setting has recently provided children with more open-ended play and natural resources.

For example, children are ably supported by staff to create long obstacle courses with planks and tyres. They are given the freedom to test their ideas and to learn from their mistakes in a safe and secure environment. Staff build on children's interests to explore and investigate the natural world.

They look closely at the 'wriggling worm with his yellow band'. They notice the chan...ge in weather and the buds on the trees. They listen attentively to the sound of an aeroplane overhead.

Staff encourage children to 'wonder' where it is going. Children mimic the sounds they hear, swooping around the garden in their pretend aeroplane and helicopter. Children are happy, confident and secure in their interactions.

Children behave well and have a positive attitude to their learning. The setting has adapted extremely well to restrictions and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. All parents are critical key workers and the setting responded to this calmly, professionally and with great integrity.

The staff speak very highly of the support and the camaraderie that exists within the setting in the most challenging of times. Staff morale remains high and well-being remains a key focus.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Babies giggle in response to warm, reciprocal relationships with staff.

They use eye contact, gestures and babble to communicate their choices. They delight in developing their exploratory skills by standing on large sensory tiles to move oil and coloured water around. They toddle back and forth, pulling themselves upright and using staff as their safe space.

Younger children develop good hand-to-eye coordination. For example, they thread ribbons through hooks that are nailed into logs. Children sit and concentrate, and try to place wooden pieces into different shaped slots.

Staff support children to develop resilience and equip them with the skills and confidence to keep on trying.Children develop good independence skills. They put on their own coats, shoes and wellington boots.

They lay the table and use cutlery to eat lunch. They pour drinks into cups and use tongs to serve fruit at snack time. Staff encourage children to understand how healthy practices contribute to their good health, for example washing hands, wiping noses and talking about the importance of keeping teeth clean.

Leaders ensure children have a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff know children very well. They use children's starting points effectively and build on what they know.

However, on occasions, the learning intention is not always clear during adult-led activities. Staff move rapidly from topic to topic and, sometimes, the key learning intention is lost.Parents comment on how supportive, friendly and approachable staff are.

Parents are complimentary about how well the setting is run and the progress that children make. They are kept very well informed of children's development and what the setting wants their child to learn. Staff gather meaningful information from parents and provide ideas on how to support learning at home.

Staff support children's early communication and language skills, including those who speak English as an additional language. Older children sit quietly and behave well during circle time for stories and rhymes. However, on occasions, these learning opportunities are not organised effectively between transitions.

Staff occasionally interrupt these periods to move tables, wash hands and attend to housekeeping tasks.Leaders ensure additional funding is used appropriately. They evaluate the impact this has on children's learning and development.

The manager is highly reflective and strives for continuous improvement for the setting.Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. The special educational needs coordinator works extremely effectively with children who require additional support.

Parents report that staff and leaders go above and beyond to access support for their children. The setting works closely with other professionals to make sure children's learning needs are met.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff fully understand the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk of harm. They know how to raise concerns with external agencies and what to do if there is an allegation made against a member of staff. Managers and leaders respond quickly to changes in legislation and take steps to minimise any risks to children in their care.

They have robust recruitment procedures in place and new staff are inducted well. Leaders and managers develop staff understanding of broader issues in a variety of ways, for example safeguarding quizzes at staff meetings.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen routines and the deployment of staff during transitions so children know what is happening now and what will happen next nidentify clear learning intentions for adult-led activities and use every opportunity to extend older children's learning to help them make the best possible progress.