Rainbow Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Friendly staff effectively promote children's confidence to grow in this supportive environment. Staff have established good relationships with the children. They are nurturing and support learning well. Children show positive attitudes to their learning. Overall, children behave well. Expectations, including 'the golden rules', are displayed, and children are reminded of them. Children enjoy the opportunities they have to play and exercise in the fresh air. While outdoors, they also learn about nature. They negotiate obstacles, build, use chalk to make marks and develop their friendships with others.

Staff provide an interesting and fun curriculum to support children's early communication skills. For example, babies enjoy songs and rhymes. Toddlers and pre-school children sit with staff and listen attentively while stories are read to them. Staff ask older children if they can remember their previous learning about the role of the author and illustrators. Children clearly demonstrate a love of books and are eager to recite one of the nursery's core books they have collectively voted to listen to. Pre-school children show good levels of attention, enjoyment and understanding of the character 'Pete the Cat'. They listen and respond with relevant comments and questions during group time. All children make good progress in their development, including those with additional needs.

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

• Leaders' ambition for children aims to ensure all children get the foundations they need to do well in the future. Leaders provide a strong leadership to a team of skilled and committed staff who are passionate about making continual improvements within the nursery. Staff plan activities that build on what children know and can do. They have a good understanding of how young children learn. This helps to ensure that the curriculum is well suited to the individual age and stage of development.
• Staff expose children to a language-rich environment. They take time to model language appropriately. Children who speak English as an additional language are successfully supported. Staff help parents to support and extend their child's learning. For instance, they offer a book lending library programme to encourage a love of reading at home.
• Overall, children behave well and learn to share, take turns and respect others, with support. Children are polite and helpful. However, at times, staff do not give children the explanation they need to fully understand the behavioural expectations.
• Staff plan around the children's interests and children confidently explore a range of media and resources. However, some areas of learning are not as strong as others. For example, although children have opportunities to be imaginative, this area does not fully maximise children's curiosity and, on occasion during some activities, play is interrupted.
• Children make choices throughout the day. Older children choose to practise mark marking and develop muscle strength for early writing. Babies enjoy exploring paint and a range of tools, such as chunky paintbrushes, sponges and cotton wool, to make patterns.
• Staff help children to be ready for school. They support children's independence and social skills through daily routines and activities. Children have many opportunities to carry out tasks for themselves. For example, they wipe their noses, wash their hands and look in the mirror to clean their faces after lunch.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents value the regular exchange of information. Leaders successfully act on the views of parents, gathered in feedback surveys. Parents particularly enjoy the scheduled evenings where staff share more about children's learning and development. Staff effectively liaise with other professionals working with children to provide a consistent approach to the support the children receive.
• All staff complete regular training that benefits the children in their care. New staff receive a robust induction so that they understand their roles and responsibilities. The manager carries out regular supervision and appraisal meetings. Staff report that they feel fully supported in their role and value the continuous professional development they receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the behaviour strategies that are already in place to ensure staff manage children's behaviour appropriately and help younger children understand more about the effect their actions have on others
• enhance opportunities for children to develop curiosity, imagination and maintain their exploration during play.