Rainbow Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and settle quickly at the pre-school. Children benefit from an ambitious curriculum provided by staff who share extremely strong bonds with them. Children are exceptionally confident and independent learners who explore enthusiastically and develop creative imaginations. For example, pre-school children fill different-sized containers with sand and pretend to make ice creams, which they share with staff. Younger children sit on a bus made from cardboard boxes and go on an adventure to the beach. Children are well behaved. They learn to respect one another and play cooperatively.

All children make good progress from their individual starting points because staff know them well and plan exciting and challenging activities that help them to build on what they already know and can do. This prepares them well for the next steps in their education, including school. Children make their own choices in play and feel valued. Staff listen to children's ideas and introduce new words to extend their vocabulary. For example, as children talk about different animals that live in the water, they identify walruses and whales. Children are motivated and active learners who have a positive attitude to learning.

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

• Staff read stories and sing songs with children, which children enjoy. Younger children play and explore musical instruments. They follow instructions carefully, playing their instrument slowly or quickly and experimenting with the sounds they can make. Children spontaneously dance to music and explore new words as they pretend to 'squelch' through mud or 'swish' through grass, linked to the book 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. This promotes children's language and literacy skills well.
• Children have many meaningful opportunities to count and use numbers. They learn about size and measurement as staff narrate children's play. For example, staff introduce words such as 'tall' and 'taller' as children build towers with bricks. Pre-school children correctly count the number of children present and know that the numerals 'two' and 'one' put together make '21'.
• Children enjoy a wide range of learning experiences in small groups. They develop their fine motor skills as they make necklaces from pasta and explore items that float and sink. However, occasionally, staff do not ensure that the curriculum and adult-led activities for the two-year-olds are focused sufficiently on children's individual next steps in learning.
• There is a welcoming and nurturing environment that is a hive of activity. Staff are good role models and interact with the children in a kind and sensitive way. As a result, children follow staff's lead, and their behaviour is good. Children demonstrate a good understanding of right from wrong and the impact that their behaviour has on others.
• Pre-school children confidently chat to one another and the staff as they play. Staff use effective strategies, such as speaking clearly and repeating words and sentences back to children. This provides some support to children who need help with their communication skills. However, staff have not considered other ways to support children who are not yet speaking to help them communicate more.
• Children learn about a healthy lifestyle and have many opportunities to develop good physical skills outside. For example, they hop, skip and jump as they move from one stepping stone to another. They skilfully climb the ladder to use the slide. They learn about healthy eating during discussions at lunchtime, which is a very sociable occasion.
• Staff recognise the importance of good partnership working and the impact that this has on children's learning. Staff liaise closely with parents to find out about children's individual needs and interests and use this information successfully to ensure that all children make good progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders and staff evaluate effectively to bring about change. Leaders monitor staff's practice and ensure that training is widely accessible so that staff can develop their knowledge and enhance children's learning experiences further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus the curriculum and adult-led activities for two-year-olds on children's individual next steps more consistently
• develop further strategies to support children even more in developing their communication skills.