Rainbow Nursery School - The Pavilion

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are cared for in a welcoming environment where they develop close bonds with their key person.

For example, they eagerly approach them to share their creations or ask for help. Children follow the nursery rules and respond well when staff politely ask them to 'wait your turn'. They are caring and respectful towards staff and their friends, and pay compliments such as 'you are a beautiful princess' as they dress up.

They recognise how to keep themselves safe and know it is important to walk carefully indoors.Children play with toys that interest them because staff know them well and extend their learning 'in th...e moment'. This supports them to make good progress.

Children enjoy exploring indoors and outside. They delight as they run into the tepee to seek shelter from the wind. They are creative and make colourful Christmas trees from pine cones they collect.

Children show a great interest in singing and it is even more enjoyable when they play instruments and do actions to familiar songs. They are excited when they know they must not say the words and hum along. Children learn new words, such as 'cocoon', and use their imaginations to pretend to go to the moon on their rockets while vividly describing their ideas.

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

The provider and her team regularly evaluate the quality of the provision. For example, they have recently introduced forest-school sessions to provide opportunities for children to learn about nature and deepen their understanding of the world around them.Staff feel well supported.

They appreciate that the management team is planning to introduce a new online system to record observations to support their varied learning styles. They say they benefit from weekly team meetings to discuss their practice and any areas for development. However, staff do not consistently benefit from training to build on their existing knowledge of how children learn.

For example, staff do not use every opportunity to extend and challenge children's learning even further.Children are very independent and confidently develop self-help skills. Staff encourage them to pour their own drinks and fetch their own coats and shoes before they go outside.

However, the layout of the room sometimes causes other children to be disturbed. For example, resources are laid out very close to the coat pegs which means children's play is, at times, interrupted.Staff work closely with parents to promote children's emerging literacy.

For example, children are eager to borrow their favourite stories, from the nursery lending library, to read with their parents at home. Staff also provide plenty of opportunities for children to read books and listen to stories throughout the session.Children confidently develop their mathematical understanding.

They weigh pasta and staff skilfully introduce terms such as 'heavier' and 'lighter'. Children competently count the eggs in the role-play area.Partnerships with parents are a real strength.

Parents are extremely happy with the service provided and refer to the setting as an 'extension of home'. They feel included in their child's learning and development, and report that they are regularly updated through weekly newsletters and conversations with their key person.Staff teach children to take care of living things and develop empathy.

They spend time giving cuddles to the setting's rabbit, 'Gruffalo'. Children are gentle and staff remind them to use kind hands and quiet voices.Children with specific needs are supported well.

Additional funding is used effectively to meet their unique requirements and enables them to have new experiences, such as the forest school. The setting has recently become a member of a local network to enhance the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Staff collect valuable information from parents about children before they start.

This helps them to establish starting points. They regularly review children's development so that any gaps in learning are quickly addressed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The provider has robust recruitment and induction procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to care for children. She regularly checks their ongoing suitability. Staff understand their responsibility to keep children safe.

They know the procedures to follow should they have a concern for the welfare of a child. Staff have completed further training to help them to understand the signs where a child may be at risk from the influences and manipulation of adults who incite hatred or terror towards others.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the programme of continuous professional development for staff to consistently build on the quality of teaching over time review the organisation of the indoor learning environment to enable children to access their resources and continue their play without interruption.