Rainbow Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eager to learn at the homely, welcoming environment. They have warm and trusting relationships with staff who are kind and caring. Staff have high expectations for all children. Younger children build strong bonds with the staff who care for them. They smile with glee as they have a cuddle and share textured books. Staff support babies' communication and language development as they read books and sing songs with them. They introduce new vocabulary as they play alongside them.

Children demonstrate they feel happy, safe and secure in their care. They develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem and a willingness to try new activities. For example, toddlers develop their physical skills in the garden. They enjoy plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors in the fresh air. They have tremendous fun as they ride around on balance bicycles, navigating obstacles safely.

Children are independent. They enjoy carrying out small tasks allocated to them, such as helping to tidy away toys before lunch. Children learn about the impact of a healthy diet. They demonstrate good hygiene practices as they wash their hands before mealtimes and after using the toilet. Children behave well. They show care and concern for others as they help their friends by passing them their water bottle. Children engage in activities of their choosing and confidently follow their own interests.

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

• Children are provided with a variety of healthy and nutritious snacks and hot meals. Staff cater for children's likes and differing dietary requirements. All children eat their meals together at breakfast and lunchtime in a calm and social environment. Babies take great delight in feeding themselves. Older children eat with the correct cutlery.
• Staff ask children questions regularly. They ask children about what they are doing and talk to them about past experiences. However, occasionally, staff ask too many questions, one after another, without giving children time to answer. Questions are often narrow in focus. This does not provide children with regular opportunities to solve problems and develop their critical thinking skills.
• Overall, children make good progress with their communication and language development. Staff make effective use of songs to introduce children to new words. Children enjoy listening to stories. Staff encourage children to recall the main events and join in with the story.
• Children's behaviour is very good. Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children to talk about their feelings. They acknowledge children's emotions and help them manage these appropriately, even with the youngest children.
• Therefore, children play in a calm environment.
• Leadership and management are good. Staff report that management support them with their well-being and that they feel really valued as part of the team. The open-door policy allows staff to feel supported within the setting.
• Parents feel empowered to support their children's learning at home. For example, staff support parents with ideas and games for children and parents to play. Parents like the online app that staff use to record children's daily routines. They welcome the information that staff provide about the menu and how much food children eat. This helps to promote continuity in children's care and diet.
• Staff plan the curriculum around the needs and interests of the children. However, at times, staff do not precisely sequence activities around children's current abilities and individual skills to the highest level. For instance, group activities do not always target the learning needs of some children or challenge them appropriately.
• Leaders identify staff training needs effectively through supervision meetings and mentoring. Staff training has a positive impact on children's learning. For example, staff attended training on how to support babies to become more physically active. As a result, staff effectively implemented tummy-time activities to support babies to build up their core-muscle strength.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with greater opportunities, particularly when asking them questions, to think critically and problem solve
• support staff to precisely sequence activities around children's current abilities and individual skills, providing them with appropriate challenge.