Rainbow Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle with complete ease at this nursery with the support of the nurturing staff. They happily wave goodbye to their parents and enjoy spending quality time with staff. Babies snuggle in for comfort with their key person when they are tired. Toddlers happily seek reassurance when they need it. Pre-school children confidently express their likes and dislikes.

Children are eager to join in the fun and engaging activities that staff plan for them. They have the freedom to explore their environment and make independent choices about their play. Babies beam as they explore 'goo'. They fill containers and gaze in awe as they watch the mixture drip from their hands. Toddlers enjoy being creative and drawing self-portraits after showing interest in the inspector's identification badge. Pre-school children are imaginative. They make a 'birthday cake' using colourful construction sticks and sing 'happy birthday' to one another to celebrate.

Children benefit from the high expectations that staff have for all children. In turn, they behave well and respect the rules and boundaries in place at nursery. Children listen carefully and follow simple instructions. They share resources, are kind to one another and form close friendships with their peers.

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

• The curriculum is broad and meets the needs of all children. Staff get to know children very well and build on their previous learning experiences. They routinely observe and assess children to help identify any gaps in their learning at the earliest opportunity. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support at the nursery.
• Children display positive attitudes towards their learning. Babies are naturally curious. They persist as they try to stack plastic pots and tubes. Toddlers maintain high levels of enjoyment as they explore a tray filled with flowers and sand. Pre-school children concentrate while they make marks using paint brushes and water outside. They demonstrate good physical skills.
• Overall, teaching is good. Staff deliver activities that motivate children and build on their interests. However, at times, staff working with pre-school children do not focus precisely enough on what skills they want children to learn next. This is because many activities are child-led and sometimes staff do not always fully consider what knowledge children need to acquire. That said, children do make good progress from their starting points in readiness for the next stage of their learning.
• Following the COVID-19 pandemic, managers and staff continue to prioritise children's communication and language development. Staff model language effectively and introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary. Toddlers and pre-school children enjoy listening to familiar stories. Babies pick objects from the song basket to communicate what song they would like to sing.
• Managers and staff are well qualified and have worked at the nursery for an incredibly long time. They are passionate about providing children with the very best start to their early education. Staff are keen to build on their knowledge and skills. They take part in regular staff meetings to reflect on their practice. Although managers carry out frequent supervision meetings with staff, there is scope to further build on coaching and mentoring opportunities to support staff's already good teaching and elevate the quality of education even further.
• Healthy lifestyles are promoted throughout the nursery. Children have access to fresh drinking-water throughout the day and enjoy a variety of nutritious meals. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise in the nursery garden. Furthermore, they take part in yoga sessions. This contributes to their physical development and supports their emotional health and well-being.
• Parents are well informed about the activities their children have benefited from each day. Managers and staff work closely with parents and routinely share assessments so they are aware of what skills their children need to learn next. This supports parents to extend their children's learning at home. Parents comment very positively about the care and support of the staff team. They state that their children love attending the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the already good teaching of staff working with pre-school children so they are fully aware of what children need to learn next to enable them to make the best possible progress
• further strengthen coaching and mentoring opportunities for staff to elevate staff's teaching and the quality of education to an even higher level.