Rainbow Day Nursery School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and enjoy their time at this friendly nursery. They are busy from the time they arrive, making independent choices about which resources to play with and which activities to take part in. For example, they decide to use assorted crates and materials to make different vehicles and pretend to be in a train. Staff clearly understand what they want children to learn. They carefully follow and build on each child's interests to help them make progress from their starting points. Staff ensure that all children have the opportunity to take part and develop new skills, such as introducing them to scissors and explaining how to use them.

Children are well behaved and learn good social skills. They play happily alongside one another depending on their age and stage of development. Older children chat to one another at mealtimes and remember to say 'thank you' when they fetch their lunch. Babies enjoy affectionate relationships with staff, who provide reassurance and encouragement as they manage to walk a few steps.

The nursery remained open to key workers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown. The manager made regular calls to parents of those children not attending to check on their welfare. Leaders and staff used social media to share videos of story reading and dancing to maintain a link with the children. They also used the nursery website to share a story about a dog that is worried about COVID-19, which parents could use to reassure children.

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

• Leaders and staff understand what they want children to learn. Leaders regularly challenge staff to explain what they are doing and why, which helps them keep a strong focus on the curriculum. Staff use effective teaching techniques to support children's development. They ask questions, show children what to do and offer praise and encouragement.
• There is a strong emphasis on communication. Staff in the baby room interact well with younger children, talking to them as they play and singing to them. Staff talk with older children about a varied range of topics, building on their interests. For example, children were interested in an air show so staff have been talking with them about vehicles and extended this topic in a variety of ways. Staff use simple words with babies and introduce new vocabulary as children get older. For example, children learn what a 'bagel' is.
• Children are well behaved and know routines well. They happily queue at the door ready to go out and patiently wait for their food to cool before they start eating. Staff offer reminders of rules, such as sharing, and children listen and follow their guidance.
• Children are confident and even babies who have found settling difficult are not anxious about visitors. Older children approach visitors to ask questions and offer an invitation to play. Children are proud of their achievements. For example, toddlers proudly show off the finished results when they make boats.
• The nursery has a clear ethos which is shared with staff and parents. Leaders and staff aim to provide a 'home-from-home' environment and parents state that they are happy with the care provided. They value the information and photographs shared daily by staff.
• The leadership team has been through a difficult period but has been proactive about seeking an effective solution. Leaders monitor staff practice to ensure high standards, and staff have improved their understanding of safeguarding and undertaken other training to develop their skills. There is a strong focus on the well-being of employees.
• Staff provide tailored support for children with special educational needs to make progress from their starting points. They liaise with parents and other agencies to ensure a shared approach to meeting the child's needs and to seek additional support.
• Leaders and staff take some effective steps to support children from different cultural backgrounds and those who are learning English as an additional language. For example, they asked parents in to celebrate Diwali and they ask for words in their home language. However, children's home language is rarely used in their play and details of children's cultural backgrounds are not always gathered, which limits staff's ability to acknowledge and value them fully.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further understanding of how to provide more effective support for children who are learning English as an additional language and of how to more fully acknowledge and value the varying backgrounds of children and families.