Rainbows Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter this inviting nursery. They leave their parents and carers with ease and settle into the well-embedded routines of the day. Staff know the children well. The information and knowledge about each child feeds into the well-sequenced curriculum. This focuses on children's language, personal, social and emotional development. For example, to promote children's language, at home and at the nursery, they have developed a lending library. Children enjoy taking books home to share with their parents.

Staff think carefully about the environment and the range of learning experiences that they provide. Children enjoy exploring sensory activities. For example, they investigate resources such as oats as they use their hands and tools to fill and empty containers. This is further developed as children add various herbs to the mix and use all their senses. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

Children learn the rules and expectations of their behaviour. The skilled staff are on hand to provide support. For instance, when there are disputes about the popular cars in the outside area, staff guide the children to use sand timers to encourage sharing and turn-taking. Children then independently use these on their own, communicating with others about it being their turn.

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

• The manager is ambitious. She is driven to ensure that the nursery is continuously improving. She ensures that staff have the training they need to support them in their roles. The manager has constructed a curriculum that considers the children's needs and interests. It is fully understood by all staff. They are keen for children to leave the setting equipped to take on their next stage of learning and to be ready for life in modern Britain.
• Overall, staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills. Staff use phrases from well-loved books to extend children's role play. For instance, in the garden when children are constructing, staff narrate alongside the children saying, 'I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down'. Children show their understanding by repeating other phrases and extending their role play. However, staff do not use questioning techniques effectively. For example, they sometimes ask children questions that only need a 'yes' or 'no' answer, which does not encourage children to expand their thinking or use their developing language.
• Children are taught about how to stay safe when outside of the nursery. For example, children go on trips to the local library, but also learn the skills needed to keep safe when walking near roads. Furthermore, the nursery educates children and parents about the risks online. For instance, the children take part in internet safety week where they explore activities that teach them how to respond to concerns when online.
• Staff are very effective in promoting equality. Resources and books represent the different ethnicities of the children in the nursery. Furthermore, children are encouraged to talk about their families and home lives. A family tree with photos from home supports children's conversations. This helps them to respect their differences and similarities to others.
• There are good partnerships established with parents. Parents are invited into the nursery for stay-and-play sessions. This encourages relationships between parents and their child's key person. Regular discussions about children's learning and development support staff and parents in identifying the next steps for children. All children have a key person. Staff understand the importance of this role in helping children feel safe and secure.
• Staff encourage children to put their own coats on and to pour their own drinks at snack time. However, staff do not consistently support children's independence at other times during the day. For example, children do not take responsibility for tidying up after themselves. Staff take on this role and tidy around them. Furthermore, older children who are capable of seeing to their own care needs are not encouraged to do this independently.
• The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator ensures that any gaps in development are discussed with parents and that referrals are put into place quickly. She understands the support that is there for children and ensures that staff understand each child's individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to address minor inconsistencies in the methods used to fully extend children's communication and language development
• support staff to recognise when to encourage children to do things for themselves, to further enhance their independence and self-help skills.