Rainbow Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery happily. They independently take off their shoes and hang their coats on their peg. Children benefit from a range of learning experiences. They explore and experiment with different materials. For instance, they investigate cornflour and water, scooping it into different containers. This stimulates their senses and helps them to learn about cause and effect. Children engage in imaginative play. For example, they use play dough to make 'birthday cakes' for their friends and visitors. Children maintain focus and concentration on the activities that they choose during free play. They spend an extended period of time using bricks to construct with their peers, taking turns and creating a story line for their play.

Children flourish in the nurturing environment. They feel safe and secure in the care of familiar adults and build strong bonds with their key person. Staff have high expectations for all children and provide excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children make good progress across the curriculum.

Children understand the routine and boundaries within the setting. They help to tidy up and take care of the environment. Children's behaviour is managed positively. For example, staff direct children to play outside when they have lots of energy. Children's achievements are celebrated which helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.

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

• Children greatly enjoy using large wooden planks to construct and practise problem-solving skills. They show resilience as they work together to overcome any challenges that they face. Children use the planks to pretend that they are building a fire. They share their ideas and collaborate to achieve the desired outcome. This helps to develop children's large muscles in their shoulders as they lift and move the wood across the garden.
• Children are very independent and staff provide them with multiple opportunities throughout the day to build upon their skills. For example, at mealtimes children pour their own water and carry their meal back to the table by themselves. Children relish opportunities to be responsible and independent.
• Staff speak fondly of their roles. They feel well supported by the management team. The manager regularly supervises the team to identify any areas for improvement in their practice and set them targets. This helps to continually improve and develop the provision.
• The manager has recently implemented changes within the environment to further enhance the opportunities available to children. This has led to children of differing ages having more opportunity to play and learn together, which they thoroughly enjoy. However, the implementation of group times with mixed ages of children is yet to be refined to maximise opportunities for children's learning, and to ensure that children are fully engaged.
• Staff are competent at monitoring the progress children are making. They swiftly identify any children in need of additional support and work with other professionals to put support in place. Staff spend focused one-to-one time with individual children to help them achieve their next steps. As a result, children make good progress, particularly with their communication and language.
• Staff promote children's well-being by giving them plenty of opportunities for physical activity and exercise. They encourage parents to ride or walk to the setting and have created a safe space for bikes to be stored. However, staff do not effectively teach children about how to use the internet safely. For instance, they miss opportunities to teach children about online safety and where to get support if they need it.
• Staff support families with home learning through ideas, information and resources. For example, they can borrow books and home-learning bags, available to support parents in a range of topics. Parents praise the communication that they receive and are well informed about their children's progress and development.
• The manager and wider management team regularly reflect on and evaluate the environment. They make adaptations to the environment according to the cohort of children attending. Staff attend training to refresh their knowledge and skills. For example, staff have attended training about schemas, which has helped them to consider the activities and resources available to support children's learning styles and interests.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further ways to help children maintain focus and engagement during activities to enhance their learning opportunities
• make consistent use of opportunities to teach children how to keep themselves safe and healthy with regards to using the internet and screen time, to prepare them for later life.