Rainbows Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive environment. They assess children's individual needs to allow them to identify quickly if children require additional support. Plans are put in place swiftly and shared with parents and carers to provide children with a consistent approach. Leaders make timely referrals to help staff to implement targeted interventions as soon as possible. They work closely with other professionals, including educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, to ensure that children receive the right support. Leaders adapt their provision to meet the individual needs of the children. These include visual prompts to help children understand the daily routine. Leaders implement targeted intervention, which is typically delivered well. Staff are currently being supported in their understanding and delivery of strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This will help all children make the best possible progress from their starting points.

Leaders have positive relationships with parents. They work closely with families to help staff to fully understand the needs of their children. Leaders use additional funding to source resources specific to individual children's learning and care needs. They share these with families to provide continuity in their care. Parents comment positively about the support they receive. They value the advice staff provide to help them to continue to support their children's learning at home.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum to meet all areas of learning and development. They offer a broad range of experiences that build children's knowledge over time. Leaders focus on babies' personal, social and emotional development from the start. Babies are settled and content, helping them to flourish through the rest of their milestones. Leaders plan environments to promote children's physical development. Babies are able to pull themselves up, and staff provide a guiding hand while they take their first steps. Resources are placed to gain their curiosity to pull, push and explore. This helps them to develop core strength and mobility. Older children strengthen their coordination through activities such as parachute games and construction. Teaching is adapted sensitively according to children's needs. Those with barriers to learning receive targeted support from staff through their interactions. Staff weave mathematics skilfully into children's play, describing shapes, size and measures through various activities. Staff purposefully develop children's language skills, introducing new vocabulary and encouraging listening and attention.

Typically, staff use assessment effectively. Occasionally, there are some minor inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Newer and less-experienced staff do not always fully support children to build on what they know and can do already. Leaders recognise the strengths and areas for further improvement in teaching and interactions. They observe staff practice and provide ongoing support to help staff develop their skills and to reflect on their interactions with children. This positive support ensures that children continue to make progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a well-balanced curriculum that is sequenced to allow all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children that face other barriers to their learning, to make progress from their starting points. Children are confident communicators, using both verbal and non-verbal methods to express their needs and thoughts, such as through symbols and signing. Babies join in with action songs and explore books with their trusted adult. Older children use a broad vocabulary to describe what they are doing and to share their ideas with others. Children demonstrate a secure knowledge of mathematics. They count confidently during group times and use mathematical language as they sort and compare toys. Children of all ages demonstrate small-muscle control as they manipulate dough and master their skills when using tools such as scissors. Children demonstrate resilience and persistence. They make independent choices in their play and develop friendships with their peers. Children are well prepared to transition effectively between different stages of their education. Leaders have plans in place to strengthen the breadth and depth of children's knowledge and skills even further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Overall, children understand routines and respond well to guidance from staff. Leaders are beginning to implement strategies to help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning, become familiar with the daily routines. Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They typically engage well in activities despite some minor inconsistencies in staff interactions to extend children's learning further. Staff support children while they play to take turns and share resources. When minor disagreements occur, staff remain calm and offer solutions to help children play cooperatively with others. They support children to be mindful of their peers, remain vigilant to children's needs and help them to understand how their behaviour impacts on others. Staff use age-appropriate stories, small-group times and discussions with children to help them understand and express their feelings and emotions. Staff are positive role models. They reinforce manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you' when children make requests. Even the youngest children begin to repeat the simple signs for 'please' as they wait for their drinks. Leaders work closely with parents to promote the importance of attendance in providing children with predictable routines. They monitor this carefully to ensure the best attendance for each child.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff foster warm and nurturing relationships with children, promoting their welfare and wellbeing successfully. Staff are responsive to children's needs, giving reassurance and cuddles when required. Children new to the setting benefit from flexible settling-in sessions to allow them to build relationships with staff and become familiar in their new surroundings. Secure attachments between children and their key person are developing well across the setting. Staff working in the baby room ensure care routines follow those from home to provide continuity in the youngest children's care. This includes following babies and young children's familiar sleeping patterns and understanding babies' stages of weaning. Robust procedures are implemented by leaders to ensure that safer sleeping practices are firmly embedded and children are continuously monitored. In addition, all staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the setting's thorough risk assessment for managing children's allergies.

Staff implement hygiene procedures well, and all children wash their hands before eating. Children have ample opportunity for physical activity, indoors and outdoors. Leaders ensure that children are provided with healthy home-cooked meals, which children enthusiastically state they enjoy. Typically, staff implement the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to become independent in their self-care. Leaders are implementing support for newer staff members to guide them in their practice as they work towards developing a consistent approach across the setting.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about the provision they offer. They have ambitious plans to extend their provision further and to drive improvement with the aim to embed consistently high-quality care and education for all children in their setting. Leaders are responsive to all children's needs, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The leadership team works well to ensure that children and families receive support when needed. Funding is used effectively to have a positive impact on children's learning and development. Leaders aim to build an experienced staff team. They have implemented a robust induction procedure to ensure that new staff are confident with the setting's policies and procedures. Staff receive regular supervision to discuss their professional development needs. Leaders offer staff a selection of professional development opportunities in addition to whole-team training days. However, training is not always targeted precisely to support specific areas of weakness in staff practice and knowledge.

The provider recently notified Ofsted about a significant event. This means that the provider has met their legal responsibility to notify Ofsted of such events. The inspector discussed this with leaders during the inspection, and appropriate action has been taken. Leaders have strengthened the procedures for monitoring children when accessing the outdoor environment. This includes ensuring that at least 2 members of staff are outdoors when children access the full length of the outdoor area.