Rainbow Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and at ease in this nursery, which has a calm and relaxed atmosphere. They enter their playroom with confidence when parents drop them at the door.

Staff and managers want the very best for every child. They provide appealing activities for all children. Babies explore a range of household objects. They bang spoons and plates together and delight in the sounds they make. They develop early mark-making skills, tracing their fingers through a mixture of flour and water. Two-year-old children show remarkable personal and social skills. They share bowls and spoons when they pretend to mix and add cement to wooden blocks to build a wall. They work together, helping one another to carry heavier blocks. Pre-school children are curious, independent learners. They predict what will happen next when they observe the caterpillars they are caring for, using books to check their facts. Children show excellent mathematical skills while hunting for Easter eggs and animals. They tell staff how many more or less they need to get to five objects.

Staff encourage children to learn about other cultures and what is important to their friends. For example, they teach children about Polish traditions, including how they share doughnuts on 'Fat Thursday'.

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

• Overall, the curriculum is well balanced. It is responsive to children's preferences and abilities. Staff plan activities that encourage children to develop a broad range of skills and knowledge. Key persons then differentiate their teaching to focus on individual children's learning needs. This helps children to learn more and remember more.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. Staff are mindful of some children whose development has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They quickly identify gaps in children's learning and plan interventions that help them to catch up.
• Staff are excellent communicators. Those working with young babies are tuned to their non-verbal cues and respond to them quickly. Staff use a rich and varied vocabulary with older children. They ask skilful questions and give children lots of time and opportunities to speak. Children are fluent and articulate talkers who use and understand lots of words.
• Children are inquisitive learners. Staff working with two-year-old children expertly involve themselves in their self-chosen play. They offer suggestions and prompts that deepen children's involvement and extend their learning. In the pre-school group, teaching is mostly directed by adults. Older children, therefore, have less support to develop their own ideas and extend their learning during play.
• The long-serving staff make up a well-established team who work together effectively. They feel supported and valued, and morale is high. They are keen to continue their own learning and they share their individual expertise with one another. This helps to enhance children's experiences and learning in nursery.
• Additional funding is used well to promote children's learning and well-being. For instance, yoga classes and physical exercise sessions help to support children's physical and mental health. Outings in the community help children to learn more about life in their own neighbourhood and beyond.
• Mealtimes are relaxed occasions. Staff encourage children's independence and social skills and engage them in conversation. However, they do not use these opportunities to talk to children about the importance of a good diet and the benefits of the nutritious, home-cooked meals that are served in nursery.
• Staff manage children's behaviour in a positive way. For example, they remind children to use their 'walking feet' and to be kind. Children behave remarkably well. They are polite and show respect to one another and adults. They are eager to please and glow with pride when staff praise them.
• Partnerships with parents are a distinct strength. Staff share highly detailed information about children's time in nursery and their activities at home. Parents' feedback is overwhelmingly positive. They describe staff as 'an extension of our family' and comment on the rapid progress children make while attending nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support pre-school children more consistently to develop and extend their ideas during self-chosen play
• promote children's good health even more effectively, for example, by teaching them about the benefits of healthy foods.