Balham Rainbow Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff offer a welcoming and stimulating learning environment where children feel happy and safe. Staff know the children well and place a strong focus on children's well-being. New children and babies settle quickly, and all children form strong emotional attachments with their key person. As a result, children are confident and ready to learn.

Children eagerly come into the nursery and happily engage in play with their friends. Staff's interactions enhance children's learning as they play. For instance, younger children enjoy bathing their dolls in the water and confidently use cloths to wash them. Staff talk to the children about what they are doing and are good role models for communication. Older children learn about traffic lights as they play colour matching games. This is then extended as children learn to use scissors to cut circles to make their own lights.

Staff have high expectations of all children. A consistent approach to managing behaviour ensures that children feel valued and listened to. Children behave well and have good attitudes towards learning. For example, children listen to instructions well and understand about taking turns and sharing toys from an early age.

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

• The manager and staff have a good understanding of their curriculum and what they want children to learn and why. Staff know the children well and quickly identify gaps in their learning. They carefully plan activities based around children's interests and next steps. As a result, all children make good progress in their learning.
• The new manager is committed to providing good-quality care and education for all children. She works well with her team and, together, they regularly reflect on their practice, looking at the setting's strengths and areas for development. They take into account the views of the parents and children. For example, following recent parent feedback, staff now take children on more regular outings.
• Staff work well with parents and share information with them about their children's learning and development. For example, parents have access to their child's observations at home, and regular development reports are shared with them. Parents confirm that their children achieve well and enjoy coming to the nursery.
• The manager supports staff effectively. Good use of training, coaching and supervision meetings to develop staff's knowledge and experience helps to improve practice and outcomes for children. For example, following behaviour management training, staff report that they are more confident to support children's positive behaviour and to challenge any negative behaviour, such as biting.
• Staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills, and they are good role models for the promotion of their language development. For instance, they speak to younger children clearly and introduce new words for children to repeat. With older children, staff ask open questions to extend children's thinking skills.
• Staff provide children with plenty of opportunities to be physically active throughout the day. As well as going on regular walks in the local community, children take part in yoga and music and movement sessions. In the outdoor space, older children create balancing beams and use climbing equipment, and babies and toddlers build their strength and agility as they climb on their indoor climbing frame. Children learn the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Overall, the manager and staff prepare children well for future learning and school. However, not all staff have a thorough understanding of how to teach early writing skills effectively. Teaching of the sounds of letters and how to write them is, for some staff, inconsistent.
• Staff are positive role models for children and know each child well. They are sensitive and caring towards the children and promptly attend to their needs with genuine care.
• Children show a positive attitude towards their learning. They respond well to staff's interactions and enjoy the activities provided. However, at times, during some adult-led activities, children are not given opportunities to explore their own ideas and express themselves.
• Children are independent and confident learners. For example, they make good attempts to put on their own shoes when going outside and serve themselves at mealtimes. In the baby room, children keenly explore the environment and make good attempts to complete a puzzle.
• Good hygiene practices and healthy habits are promoted well. For example, children understand the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes, and staff support children to brush their teeth. Older children independently and enthusiastically wash their hands, and all children are encouraged to brush their teeth after lunch.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their teaching skills in literacy so that they maximise opportunities for children to develop their early writing and understanding of letters and sounds
• review and enhance some adult-led activities to maximise opportunities for children to explore in their own way and try out their own ideas.