Little Rainbows

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they feel happy, safe and secure in the nursery. Staff build close relationships with them and their families. They provide a warm, nurturing environment and focus on helping children to develop strong personal, social and emotional skills. Children are kind and show a good awareness of the behavioural boundaries and expectations. Staff help them to resolve conflicts and understand their feelings. They know how to meet children's individual care needs and regularly gather information from families. Staff maintain an up-to-date knowledge of children's development, routines and interests. This helps to promote continuity for children.

Leaders have embedded a clear, challenging curriculum, which staff implement well. For instance, staff help children to develop secure foundations for future learning, and children are well prepared to start school. Children have good levels of independence, and staff promote their self-care skills from an early age. They prepare the environments purposefully to enable children to learn as they play. Children are keen to join in with new activities and show enthusiasm in their learning. Parents are very happy with their experiences of the nursery. They say the team is 'accommodating, kind and professional', and they are happy with the communication about their children's progress.

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

• Leaders and staff provide children with an exciting curriculum to broaden their experiences and help to build secure foundations for the future. Children benefit from trips out into the local community, such as to the beach and care home. Staff help them to develop an understanding of the wider world through planned activities that celebrate diversity.
• Partnership working is highly effective. For instance, staff have excellent partnerships with the local school and take children to the library there. They communicate with the school to find out what skills children need to learn before they move on. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need and that they are working towards the same goals.
• Staff help children to build on their existing skills and knowledge through purposeful activities. For example, older children have shown an interest in sea creatures. Staff read 'The Rainbow Fish' story and introduce colour mixing with the large tray and pipettes. Other children use the dough to create their favourite sea life animals and talk about their features. Staff extend this further by planning a trip to a lobster hatchery to see real sea life animals.
• Children benefit from an effective balance of planned and unplanned experiences. For example, babies show enjoyment as they explore the sensory tray with edible items and farm animals. Staff show them how to sprinkle and crunch the resources, and the children copy. Toddlers enjoy stories and join in with their favourite parts. Although activities are meaningful and purposeful, on occasion staff do not focus their teaching on children's individual next steps.
• Mathematics is a strong area of the curriculum. Staff use plenty of opportunities to teach children about shapes, numbers and problem-solving. Outdoors, older children recognise numerals and how they should be written correctly. Staff play games, such as hopscotch, and practise counting with children as they play hide and seek.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. Staff help them to develop a love of books, stories and rhymes. Babies enjoy songs with actions, and staff continue these into the toddler room. Children have access to a wide range of books indoors and outdoors. Staff consistently model language and introduce new words to build on children's vocabulary.
• Staff promote children's good health and hygiene. They ensure children have space for rest and have fresh air each day. Children learn to use the toilet and know how to wash their hands. Staff talk to them about the importance of good hygiene and healthy food. Children enjoy the healthy cooked meals from the local school and access fresh drinking water throughout the day.
• Leaders and staff regularly reflect on their practice and skills. Staff benefit from regular feedback in supervision sessions and have discussions about observations of their teaching. They say they feel very happy working in the nursery, are supported effectively by leaders and have plenty of opportunities for professional development. Leaders show dedication and commitment to continually improving the nursery. They have plans to further develop the outdoor area to ensure children can access a full curriculum outside.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to focus more sharply on children's individual next steps during planned activities
• enhance the curriculum outdoors to support children who prefer to learn outside.