Rainbow Village Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager, who is also the provider, creates an extremely nurturing and welcoming environment. This helps children settle well, feel safe and secure, and develop a positive attitude towards learning. Children show lots of enthusiasm for the interesting and useful learning opportunities on offer. Staff know that well-established routines help children understand what is going to happen next. Children quickly understand what they need to do and when. They learn to cooperate with these routines, which adds to the calm and purposeful environment. In addition, staff are excellent role models, showing children how to be polite, kind and helpful. This good practice all has a positive impact on children's behaviour.

Children take part in a well-planned range of activities, tailored to their particular learning needs. The manager wants the best for all children. Overall, staff plan in detail how to help children build well on what they already know and can do. Staff ensure each day is varied and interesting. Children develop awe and wonder about the world around them. Children enjoy spotting wildlife when out for walks. Staff enter into meaningful conversations with children about what they can see. This both adds to children's bank of knowledge and effectively develops their thinking and speaking skills.

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

• The manager makes effective decisions about the best way to teach different skills to children. She identifies what skills are best taught through more structured activities and which can be best supported as children play independently. This results in a curriculum that, overall, is delivered very well.
• Children develop good levels of independence. Staff make good use of daily routines to teach children to put on their coats and boots. They teach children where to find tissues and where to dispose of these afterwards.
• The manager understands the importance of stories and songs in supporting children's language development. She leads singing and story times several times a day. Children hear stories read clearly and enjoy learning the words to songs. They develop a love of books, often bringing in favourite ones from home to share with their friends.
• The manager monitors all children's progress closely. She accurately identifies where children may need extra support to meet their full potential. She works closely with parents and other professionals to put in place support as needed. She uses additional funding very thoughtfully, always with children's best interests in mind.
• The manager values the skills, knowledge and commitment that staff bring with them. However, she does not fully harness staff's skills to best effect. Staff can chose to spend their time at activities they feel most comfortable with. This can limit the time staff get to spend with their key children, monitoring and supporting their learning.
• The curriculum for children to develop their fine motor skills is planned and taught very well. Staff ensure all children take part in activities that develop their dexterity and hand-eye control every session. However, opportunities for children to develop their large movement skills are more limited, especially during colder months. That said, staff ensure children have daily fresh air, to promote their good health.
• Children are developing well into curious and inquisitive learners. The manager notes children's emerging interests and plans imaginatively how these can be used to broaden children's knowledge. For example, comments made by children lead to activities being planned to teach children about different continents and climates. Children are fascinated to learn more. They also feel valued and listened to.
• The manager makes all families and children feel valued and respected. Children have lots of opportunities to share their different life experiences. Through this, all children learn about the many different ways in which people live and to respect the similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Parents are full of praise for the nursery. They feel very lucky that their children get to spend time in such a welcoming environment. There are warm and professional relationships between staff and parents. These are used very well to meet children's care and development needs.
• The manager is extremely reflective, regularly looking to improve further the nursery experience for children. For example, she has improved the layout of the nursery to enable and encourage children to make more use of resources that help develop their early literacy skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff support on developing their confidence to play an active role in all aspects of nursery life, to best enable them to support their key children's learning
• develop further the curriculum for some aspects of physical development, so children have more opportunities to develop their gross motor skills.