Rainbow Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and well cared for. Their safety and well-being are closely supported. For example, staff ensure that all children have sunscreen applied before they can go outdoors. They talk to children about the process to ensure that they understand how staff are supporting their personal care routines.

Children have lots of choice for what they want to do. For instance, babies purposefully move to engage in a game of rolling a ball back and forth. When children find it difficult to partake in elements of the routine, their key person provides them with the relevant resources to promote their understanding, such as a bowl to highlight that it is snack time. This means that all children have opportunities to make personal choices for participation.

Staff reinforce children's positive behaviour. For example, they praise children for their 'lovely manners'. This develops children's confidence and self-esteem, especially during mealtimes. When children's emotions escalate, their key person prioritises one-to-one time with them to engage in sensory exploration. This helps to reduce children's stress and anxiety.

Children develop strong physical skills. For example, in response to music, babies voluntarily let go of their walking aid and they move their whole body with enjoyment. They develop good hand-to-eye coordination, and balance as they try to catch the moving lights which are being projected from a disco ball.

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

• The manager promotes a well-sequenced curriculum to ensure that all staff can identify what children need to learn. She works effectively with staff to build on their continuous professional development, this is evident by the high morale of the team, who say they are proud to be part of 'Team Rainbow'.
• Staff know all children extremely well, including their family backgrounds and next steps for learning. The special educational needs coordinator is extremely passionate about her role, and she takes swift action to support children and their families. For example, she makes referrals to gain additional professional involvement, to ensure that those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs identified and met early.
• The manager is gradually reintroducing previous practices that stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, she aims to invite parents and carers back into the setting to attend stay-and-play sessions to further children's learning, with a particular focus on enhancing children's speech and language.
• Children's emotions are fully considered during transitions. For example, staff plan activities which prompt children to discuss their feelings about school. They promote positive workings with other professionals, such as schoolteachers and past educators, to review children's progress. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have not been coming into the setting to collect their children. Staff report that this has positively supported children's attachments, and in turn the effectiveness of transitions.
• Parents are extremely positive about how well key persons keep them informed, and they value the online systems key persons use to share observations of children. They say it is a real insight into their children's learning.
• Children benefit from a calm atmosphere which staff promote well across the setting. As babies play, staff skilfully interpret their babbles and add new language to create a two-way conversation. Babies smile as they recognise that their sounds are understood. This helps to build strong relationships with their key persons.
• Familiar songs and stories play an integral part in teaching children about the world in which they live. For example, staff read stories to children about a caterpillar who is always hungry. This introduces new concepts, such as life cycles and oral health. At times, staff do not fully reflect on older children's experiences to further promote their engagement to the highest level. This does not help children to fully embed what is being taught.
• Staff positively promote children's health and well-being. For example, funding is spent to ensure that all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, benefit from a healthy cooked meal. Children have daily access to the outdoors to gain fresh air, and there are secure arrangements in place for children of all ages to sleep safe. This positively enhances children's academic performance.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• reflect on the experiences staff provide older children to ensure that they continuously promote their engagement to the highest level.