Southbank International School Westminster

Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd

143530 Unique Reference Number 26 September 2006 Inspection date Lisa Ellis Inspector

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Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd

42 Victoria Road North, Southsea, Hampshire, PO5 1PX Setting Address

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Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd

02392 824538 Telephone number info@rainbowcorner.co.uk E-mail Jackie Scott and Geoff Scott Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Full day care Type of care

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Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Rainbow Corner Nursery Ltd is a privately owned nursery which opened in 1983. It operates from a Victorian house in central Southsea, Hampshire. Children have access to rooms on the ground and first floor of the property and have access to fully enclosed outdoor play areas. The nursery serves families from the local and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently seventy nine children on roll, of which seventeen are in receipt of government funding for nursery education. The nursery is meeting the needs of a small number of children with learning difficulties and there are systems in place to support children who have English as an additional language. Children can attend the nursery full time or for sessions. It is open each week day, with the exception of bank holidays, from 08:00-18:00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 There are currently fourteen members of staff working with the children including the manager, of these, twelve hold early years qualifications and two are working towards a recognised qualification.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery successfully completed the Pre-school Learning Alliance Accreditation Scheme in 2004.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and well maintained environment which helps to promote their health and hygiene. Their dietary needs are met as staff reheat and serve meals provided by the parents, in line with the nursery's healthy eating policy. Children benefit from a wide selection of fruit that the nursery provides for snack times. They are offered a variety of fresh and dried fruits, raw vegetables, breadsticks and crackers which helps to promote healthy eating. Children have regular drinks to ensure they remain suitably hydrated. Children of all ages get involved in cooking and baking activities where they learn about food. They also participate in growing their own food such as potatoes and cress.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the good hygiene procedures that are in place throughout the nursery. Staff are meticulous in keeping the premises and equipment clean to minimise the spread of germs, for example, they wear gloves to change nappies and thoroughly clean changing mats after each child. Children are learning good hygiene procedures such as washing their hands after playing outside, after using the toilet and before eating. Tables are cleaned in between activities, bedding is changed after each child and sand and water is covered after use to promote good hygiene in all areas. Children are familiar with hygiene routines such as wiping their noses and disposing of tissues appropriately.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are dealt with promptly following accidents as almost all staff hold current first aid certificates. The first aid kit is well stocked and an additional kit is taken on outings. The medication and accident records are well maintained and are shared with parents as necessary to promote the health of the children. Children are protected from the spread of infection as the nursery has strict guidelines relating to the exclusion of children with contagious ailments.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have regular access to the fully enclosed gardens where they exercise and practise their physical skills. The babies have daily opportunities for physical play in their base room and are regularly taken for walks in the push chairs to get fresh air. All of this helps to contribute to a healthy lifestyle for the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a bright and stimulating environment where their work is displayed to help them feel welcome and valued. Each age group has their own base room with child height furniture and suitable resources to meet their developing needs. Children also have

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 shared access to a computer room/library and a craft room as well as two separate outdoor areas. The nursery building and gardens are secure to ensure children's safety. Full use is made of all areas to enable children to experience all the different play and learning opportunities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from the extensive range of equipment for indoor and outdoor activities. Resources are well maintained and are stored in boxes that depict pictures and words of the contents to encourage children to self-select their own toys. Furniture, coat hooks and children's individual storage trays are all child height to promote children's independence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is given a priority at all times with effective procedures in place to promote their well-being when indoors, in the garden, on outings and when sleeping. Daily safety checks are conducted in each room and full annual risk assessments are carried out to highlight potential areas for concern. Effective precautions have been taken to minimise the risk of accidents such as cushioned flooring in the garden, the use of socket covers and stair gates and the immediate removal of broken equipment. Written fire procedures are displayed throughout the nursery to illustrate what action needs to be taken in the event of an emergency, however there have been limited opportunities for staff and children to practise fire drills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's well-being is effectively promoted as the staff have a good understanding of the correct child protection procedures to follow. Staff are well informed of what to do should they have concerns regarding the welfare of a child in their care and are clear of the appropriate action to take if they suspect a child may be suffering abuse. Parents are informed of the nursery's child protection policy and this is displayed on the notice board to help promote the well-being of the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children and babies are cared for by a majority of qualified and experienced staff who know them and their capabilities well. Staff are knowledgeable about the Birth to three matters framework and implement it well, helping children to make progress in all areas of their development. Staff plan age appropriate activities that are enjoyable for the children, making observations on their progress to inform future planning. Written records of individual children's progress is passed to the next room as children grow, this helps staff in other areas to plan according to their individual abilities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each day children aged under three years have opportunities to participate in play relating to construction, sensory play, language, role-play, creative play and physical play. Interaction between staff and children is very good throughout the nursery. Staff are responsive to the demands of the young children and know their individual routines well. They constantly play with the children, changing activities frequently to keep them stimulated and interested in the range that is on offer. Staff plan sessions well to incorporate children's basic needs, for example, feeding, sleeping and changing. Children are happy and relaxed in the nursery, good use is made of time so they always have something to do. Staff manage the change of activities well by filling time with songs and action rhymes if the next activity is not quite ready. All children are keen to join in with action rhymes even if they can't yet speak. They take delight in singing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and often applaud themselves and each other when they have finished.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Nursery education

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching is good. Children are making good progress in all areas of learning as staff plan worthwhile activities that cover all areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. All staff working with children in receipt of funding for nursery education have received training on the Foundation Stage which enables them to provide developmentally appropriate activities to challenge and stimulate the children. Staff work as a team and all contribute to the planning although the room leader has overall responsibility to ensure all areas of learning have been covered. Focused activities are prepared each session which show differentiation for more or less able children. These focused activities are evaluated to show how effective they have been in helping the children to make progress. Staff can see at a glance where there are any gaps in children's learning as they use an effective system to plot where individual children are on the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

stepping stones. This system helps them with future planning and indicates where individual children may need additional support or extension activities. Observations are carried out on each child which are also used for future planning to ensure activities are pitched at the right level for children's understanding and ability.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are independent and confident. They are familiar with the daily routines and are able to do things for themselves such as fetch their own tissues and put their own outdoor clothing on. They behave well and are responsive to requests from staff, accepting explanations that they are given when staff want them to behave in certain ways. Children value each other, often applauding themselves when they have finished activities. They are very good at taking turns and sharing during whole group activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are good listeners and can follow instruction in games such as 'Simon says' and during registration time when they listen for their names and answer appropriately. Children are learning about linking sounds to letters and enjoy practising their developing writing skills at the freely accessible writing table. Some children can write correctly formed letters while others enjoy mark making, showing their emergent writing skills. Many children can recognise written words that are displayed around the room, for example their own names on the coat pegs or equipment in labelled boxes. Children enjoy looking at books, particularly ones they have helped to make themselves. They show excitement when identifying pictures they have drawn and like to read the books to each other.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's understanding of mathematical concepts is developing due to well planned group activities that enable them to be actively involved in their learning. For example they learn about positional language by physically moving items around the room, such as 'in front of', 'behind' and 'next to'. They show an awareness of basic calculation by correctly telling staff how many more chairs are needed if all children are going to sit down and can correctly guess what number comes next. Children are able to use the computer on a regular basis to practise basic skills such as clicking and dragging. They use educational games to help with their understanding of shape, number, colour and letters. Children enjoy looking at laminated photographs of themselves and like talking about past activities, recalling what they have done on previous days. They experiment with activities such as sinking and floating and learn about

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

different cultures and beliefs through planned activities which increase their knowledge of the wider community.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are learning about changes in their bodies and recognise that their hearts beat faster after physical activity. They have regular opportunities for exercise and outdoor play including time for music and movement where they follow instructions from a tape. Children are very competent when participating in a wide range of physical skills from gross motor skills such as climbing and balancing when outside, to more fine motor skills such as cutting and doing puzzles. Children demonstrate good spatial awareness and can competently manoeuvre themselves and equipment around safely. Their creative development is progressing well as they are given regular opportunities to express themselves through role-play and art. They have developed good imaginations and often act out scenarios within a group, showing

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

co-operation when determining their roles. Children have access to a good range of musical instruments and enjoy having music tapes on in the background. While listening to music to relax following physical play, children use their imaginations and pretend they are mermaids sitting on rocks or sharks swimming through the water.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are met through discussion with parents and carers and through staff working with other professionals where needed. Children attend from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds which are respected and celebrated with the other children to teach them about the wider world. Labels and notices around the nursery are written in different languages to value all children and their families. Some children are bi-lingual but there are none on roll at the moment that have English as an additional language. The nursery has close links with the local authority who are able to provide translation services where needed. Diversity is reflected throughout the nursery via a good range of books, posters and dolls to teach children about the wider community. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered. Children with learning difficulties are fully integrated in the group and have the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

support of the staff to help them make progress in their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They benefit from the firmness and consistency of the staff team who work well together to ensure children learn the behavioural boundaries which mostly relate to sharing, taking turns and being kind to each other. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and talk to them about unwanted behaviour to enable them to understand the rules. Children are praised for their efforts and positive behaviour, which encourages them for the future and helps to create the harmonious environment within the nursery.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is good. New parents are able to do as many visits as they like with their children to help them to settle in. Staff work closely with parents to follow children's home routines to ensure consistency of care. Parents of babies use 'home link' books to exchange information with staff and receive written feedback about their children's day at nursery. Parents of older children receive verbal feedback on a daily basis to keep them informed of what their children have been doing during the day. Throughout their time at the nursery, parents are asked to complete information sheets about their children which are used by staff when planning activities to suit the needs of the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive an informative prospectus which gives details of the Birth to three matters framework and the Foundation Stage. Parents are able to access further information about the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 nursery through the notice board, the newsletters and the planning boards outside each room which show parents what activities their children will be doing. Staff keep records of the children's progress which parents can view at any time although some parents are unaware of this.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are invited into the nursery to contribute their own knowledge and skills to aid children in their learning, for example parents who work as paramedics and chefs have been in to talk about their jobs with the children. Parents are involved in their children's learning by bringing in items for the 'home board' and 'interest table' and being involved with the activities in children's book bags that they take home each week. These include learning about shape, colour, number and letters. Parents are invited to talk to the pre-school room leader before their children start in there so they know what sort of activities their children will be participating in. All parents spoken to during the inspection are very positive about the nursery and expressed their satisfaction with the levels of care and education provided by the staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides care as all staff either have an early years qualification or are on training to obtain one. Staff show a commitment to training and regularly attend workshops to increase their childcare knowledge. Staff are appropriately vetted and systems are in place to ensure their ongoing suitability to work with the children. Ratios are maintained at all times to ensure children's safety and effective systems are in place to record the attendance of children and staff. However the system of recording visitors is incomplete.

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Organisation

All of the required paperwork is in place, is stored confidentially and is shared with parents as necessary to promote the well-being of the children. Policies and procedures are individual to the setting and are used as working documents throughout the nursery to ensure consistency for the children.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. There is an effective staff induction system in place to ensure new staff are aware of the aims and objectives of the setting. All staff have written job descriptions so they are aware of their roles and responsibilities. The nursery demonstrates a good understanding of it's own strengths and weaknesses. It is involved in a self review scheme from which detailed action plans are drawn up to promote better outcomes for children and good quality nursery education.

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Organisation

All staff are involved in appraisals and peer observations to share practice issues and highlight areas for improvement within the care and education provision. Many of the staff have been in the nursery for a number of years and share their experience with the younger members of staff. Good staff deployment rotas are in place, good use is made of available space and excellent use is made of resources to help to ensure the smooth running of the nursery.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection a recommendation was raised to ensure children are protected from kitchen hazards. Although children still need to walk through the kitchen to access the toilets, back garden and art room they are always accompanied by a member of staff and are never left unattended in the kitchen. Hazards are minimised as cleaning materials and medication are stored out of reach and cups and the kettle are kept at the back of work surface to promote good safety procedures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last education inspection there were two points for consideration. The first was related to developing greater consistency between the two pre-school rooms, in recording children's progress towards the early learning goals. The second was to consider ways to ensure the daily programme is flexible so children have more opportunities to select a variety of tools and materials and express themselves freely.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the moment only one of the pre-school rooms is following the Foundation Stage as there are no funded children in the other room. However consistency has improved by staff in both rooms using the same paperwork to record children's progress towards the early learning goals. Staff also have meetings to ensure consistency for the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The second point for consideration has been effectively addressed as the lay out of all rooms has improved to enable children to access materials easily, allowing them to express themselves more freely during the daily programme.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 • improve fire safety by practising more frequent fire drills • develop systems for recording visitors to the premises to ensure relevant information is recorded

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • further develop existing strategies to ensure all parents are aware that developmental records are kept on their children and that they can see them on request

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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