Rainbow House Private Day Nursery Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders create an inclusive culture where staff know children well and identify needs early. Staff observe children, assess development and communicate daily with families. They recognise barriers to learning or wellbeing and respond quickly. Staff adapt practice, for example using clear language, working in smaller groups and using sensory resources. This helps children with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part alongside peers and build confidence.

Staff support disadvantaged children and those known to children's social care with consistency and care. They monitor wellbeing closely, respond to changes in behaviour and overall, implement predictable routines that help children to feel secure. Staff use funding to improve engagement and attention, for example by providing resources that support focus during waiting times and promoting positive behaviour.

Leaders ensure staff follow clear processes to assess, plan and review support. Staff gather observations and use these to inform next steps. Leaders work with external professionals to review progress and secure additional support when needed. Leaders share information with parents through regular communication. However, parents do not currently attend review meetings. Leaders have identified this as a priority for development and plan to involve parents more fully in reviewing support plans and agreeing next steps.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders monitor teaching effectively and continue to strengthen curriculum consistency. The nursery has developed a broad, well-sequenced curriculum that reflects children's ages and stages of development. This supports children to build on what they already know and can do, promoting confidence, capability and independence. The curriculum meets early years foundation stage requirements and prioritises communication and language, early mathematics, independence and personal, social and emotional development. Staff model vocabulary, support early speech through sound-based strategies, introduce positional language in the toddler room and encourage increasingly complex sentences in pre-school. Children use language linked to stories and daily routines, strengthening communication.

Staff plan learning around children's interests. For example, the 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' theme supports storytelling, sensory play, mark making and problem-solving. Staff follow a sequenced approach to story teaching and move on to new books once learning is secure, helping children consolidate understanding before progressing. However, curriculum implementation is not always consistent. Activities can include too many learning intentions, which reduces impact. Leaders are reviewing practice and supporting staff to improve consistency and clarity. Teaching is inclusive. Staff adapt activities so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part fully and make progress from their starting points.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically make expected progress across all areas of learning and build securely from their starting points. They communicate confidently, with babies responding to stories, toddlers using positional language such as 'under' and 'behind', and older children speaking in increasingly complex sentences. Children are settled, curious and confident. In the main, children sustain attention in play, explore activities and develop physical skills through climbing and balancing. Early mathematical language such as 'big', 'small' and 'on top' is applied, showing independence in routines and self-care.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support enabling them to access learning alongside their peers and to progress from their starting points. However, staff do not consistently implement the curriculum in response to children's interests, which reduces engagement for some children. When staff adapt teaching and follow children's cues, children re-engage and sustain involvement. Overall, children develop key skills and are prepared for the next stage in their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Most staff support children's behaviour through calm explanations, reminders and positive role modelling. They help children follow familiar routines during group activities and when using indoor equipment. Warm and respectful relationships help children feel secure and ready to learn. Most children follow agreed boundaries, engage positively in activities and develop increasing independence. However, some children do not consistently meet expectations, for example when misusing resources or becoming unsettled during mealtimes. Staff responses are not always consistent across the setting. As a result, children sometimes receive mixed messages about expectations, which affects their understanding of routines and behaviour.

Leaders monitor behaviour and attendance patterns and communicate with families to promote engagement. They work closely with parents, including those whose children have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are known to social care, to encourage consistent routines and expectations. Staff use clear explanations and visual prompts to help children understand what is expected of them. Although most children behave well, inconsistencies in how expectations are reinforced mean routines are not always embedded consistently across the setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders monitor welfare through observation, assessment and regular communication with families. Staff place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their practice. Children enjoy nutritious meals, and care routines are adapted effectively to meet individual needs, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those known to social care. Secure attachments with key persons help children feel settled, confident and emotionally safe.

Children develop independence through daily routines. In the toddler and pre-school rooms, they feed themselves, use cutlery and serve food. Babies begin to use cups and feed themselves with support. Staff respond calmly to children's emotions and support them to begin to understand and manage their feelings. Children's personal care needs are met, and hygiene routines promote comfort and cleanliness. Children are happy, content and curious, engaging in experiences that support their physical development, creativity and emotional wellbeing.

However, organisation at snack and mealtimes is not always consistent. At times, resources are left on tables, which can distract children and lead to some uncertainty about expectations. Occasionally, some children stand while eating, leaning over the table with food in their mouth, and staff responses are not always consistent. This can result in less settled routines, where some children lose focus. As a result, opportunities to further strengthen independence, social interaction and positive behaviour during these times are not fully maximised.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The setting has experienced significant change. Leaders have responded with clarity, ambition and purpose. Since taking over leadership and ownership, they have established a clear vision for high-quality education and care, underpinned by a secure understanding of strengths and priorities for development. Action planning is driving ongoing improvement across the setting. Leaders have introduced an online communication platform to strengthen links with families and have provided staff training to improve consistency in practice.

Leaders prioritise the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They have strengthened key-person arrangements and work closely with parents and external agencies to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Parents value the improved communication and report that children have remained settled and content during this period of change.

Staff feel supported and valued. They access regular supervision and training that develop their knowledge and practice. Leaders plan to introduce professional learning through peer observations to further support shared practice and improve consistency. Staff report that workloads are manageable and that they feel well supported in their roles.

Leaders maintain a clear focus on continuous improvement and ensure decisions are firmly centred on children's day-to-day experiences. They have established positive relationships with parents and promote regular communication to support children's learning and care.