Rainbow Nursery

Rainbow Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rainbow Nursery

Unique Reference Number EY319812 Inspection date 18 September 2006 Inspector Anne Legge

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Rainbow Nursery

Setting Address The Mansion, Fore Street, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5RP

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E-mail

Registered person Daisy Playcentre Type of inspection Integrated Type of care Full day care

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E-mail

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 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 Day Nursery has been registered since February 2006. It is part of a Children's Centre, which occupies two separate sites, and is managed by a group of trustees. The nursery is located in the centre of Totnes and serves the local community. Premises include two play rooms, plus office, toilet and storage facilities. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The nursery is registered to care for up to 66 children aged up to eight years. There are currently 72 children on roll,

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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 including 41 funded three and four-year-olds. The nursery is open all year round, from 08:00 to 18:00 on weekdays. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are welcomed and supported. The nursery employs nine child care staff, eight of whom have appropriate qualifications, and the other staff member is working towards a qualification. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in bright, clean premises, where they are very well protected from infection. Staff are meticulous in ensuring that surfaces are spotless, especially before children eat meals or snacks. Nappy changing procedures are hygienic, as staff wear gloves and aprons, and clean the changing mat after each use. Children learn about healthy practices, as staff discuss the hygienic use and disposal of tissues, and remind them to wash their hands appropriately, before they eat and after using the toilet. An effective sickness exclusion policy also helps to protect children from the spread of infection. Children receive good care when they are unwell or injured. Almost all staff have current first aid qualifications, and the rest are waiting to attend appropriate training. Records of accidents and medication administered are mainly comprehensive, ensuring that children's care is consistent.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's health is very well promoted through the provision of nutritious snacks and meals. Staff provide morning and afternoon snacks comprising fresh and dried fruit. Parents choose to provide packed lunches, or children have hot meals from the on-site café. In either case, meals are well-balanced and include plenty of fruit and vegetables. Breakfast and tea are also offered to children attending early or late in the day, and both meals are carefully planned to promote healthy eating. Children's special dietary needs or preferences are known and met. Children have plenty of fluids, as drinking water is always available. They enjoy daily opportunities to be physically active, making good use of the outdoor play area. They run freely on the grassed area, or use wheeled toys, rockers or bouncers. They play active singing games, dig in the sand tray or plant flowers and vegetables.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a safe and secure environment. The entrance to the building is securely locked, alarmed and monitored by staff, to prevent the admission of unauthorised adults. The garden is fully enclosed and doors to the two play rooms are locked during sessions, to prevent children leaving without supervision. Staff have a good understanding of safety issues and ensure that effective systems are in place, to keep children safe. Daily checks are carried out in each play area and hazards are addressed. For example, unused electric sockets are covered and floors are cleared of obstacles. Children choose from an excellent variety of toys and resources, which are clean and in good condition. They are well organised, and at

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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 low levels, so that children can help themselves, without risk of harm. There are good systems for regularly checking all resources for safety and cleanliness. Children are safe in emergencies, as evacuation procedures are practised regularly and discussed frequently with children, so that they know what to do. They are very well protected from abuse or neglect, as all staff undergo child protection training and have a good understanding of relevant issues and appropriate procedures. The child protection policy lacks details of some procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy the facilities of a spacious and child-friendly nursery environment. Staff make the play rooms welcoming, using lively displays and attractive resources. Children of all ages are settled and purposefully engaged, throughout sessions. They enjoy a wide range of play opportunities, and make good progress in all areas of development. Sessions are well organised and carefully structured, to ensure that children access a richly varied programme of activities. Children aged under three years enjoy plenty of sensory play. They splash in bubbly water, use their hands to paint pictures, explore ice or play with sand, straw, pasta and cornflour. Babies sit, roll or crawl on materials which are brightly coloured and of different textures. They use mirrors to develop their sense of self. Toddlers enjoy construction activities, role play, singing and music. They join in with cooking, use

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

glue to make collages, complete puzzles or play with cars, dolls and other small world toys. Children listen to stories and take part in circle times. They make marks, using crayons, paint or chalk. Children make good progress, as staff have a clear understanding of their development and interact very effectively with them. For example, they sing and talk to babies, helping to develop their communication skills. They promote children's independence, encouraging them to make choices and try new activities. Staff have recently started to record children's progress, using the Birth to three matters framework, and to plan formally for the next steps in their development. They know children very well and are skilful in planning to meet their individual needs. Nursery Education The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children enjoy attending and eagerly engage in the excellent variety of activities provided by staff. They become confident

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

and independent learners, able to organise their own play and to concentrate very well at their chosen tasks. Planning and assessment systems are at an early stage, but they are effective in ensuring that children access the whole curriculum over time. Staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and are skilful in their use of questions and discussion, to challenge children's thinking. However, the lack of focussed assessment information sometimes leads to inconsistencies in the challenges provided for the most able children, especially in some aspects of mathematics and literacy.

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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 enjoy sharing stories and discussing books. They talk confidently and learn to listen carefully, as staff teach them good listening skills, using humour to gain their attention. They use the writing area well and sometimes discuss letter shapes and sounds, or write their own name, although this is not regularly developed in a wide range of practical tasks, according to children's individual needs and abilities. Children count regularly as they play, such as when looking at toy animals or shapes in the environment. They use mathematical language in practical activities, as when comparing different sized pieces of wood. Able children's understanding of number patterns is not always systematically extended, through the planned use of daily routines and activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children learn about the natural world, as they help with planting and growing, in the garden. They explore different environments through topics, such as jungles. They develop their understanding of technology, using a computer and a variety of electronic toys. Children explore a wide range of materials, including weathered wood, pebbles and collage materials. They create freely, using excellent resources, such as fur and feathers, when making jungle headbands. They sing familiar songs and enjoy music sessions, listening to a drummer and making their own music, using a variety of instruments. Children develop good co-ordination, using small equipment, such as scissors and glue spreaders, and large outdoor equipment, such as tricycles and hoppers, with increasing skill.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children respond well to the calm and positive atmosphere which pervades the nursery. They enjoy warm relationships with staff and receive copious praise and encouragement. Staff skilfully build children's self-esteem, while helping them to respect the needs of others, and to behave well. Younger children are distracted effectively and helped to understand routines and expectations. Older children use a thinking area, to explore their feelings and reflect on relationships. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. They learn to share resources, as staff support them, for example, when they need to wait for their turn on a tricycle. They learn about cultural and religious differences, as they celebrate a range of festivals, including Divali and Thanksgiving, or use resources, such as dolls and books, which reflect diversity. Children with learning difficulties are very well

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Helping children make a positive contribution

supported and included. Children's care is mainly consistent, as staff are developing effective systems for sharing information with parents. Staff inform parents of the youngest children about aspects of their care, by displaying daily details, such as sleep times and meals, on a white board. They spend time with carers at the ends of sessions, exchanging information, and sharing scrap books of children's work. However, parents do not yet share detailed records of children's achievements or targets for future development, so they are not always able to fully support their child's progress. At the Foundation Stage, partnership with parents and carers is good. Parents attend pre-school sessions with their child, until the child is settled, so much information is shared at this stage. Parents are invited to look at scrap books and to contribute to these

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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 records, including information about their child's successes at home. They do not receive detailed information about children's progress towards the early learning goals, and targets for future learning are not shared, to allow parents to be fully involved in promoting development.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from being in the care of well-qualified staff, who are committed to the continued development of their practice, by attending appropriate training. Recent staffing difficulties have been resolved, and a dedicated staff team now work effectively together, to provide good quality care and education for children. Staffing ratios are satisfactory throughout the nursery, and the younger children receive plenty of individual attention, as ratios are very good in their part of the nursery. All children enjoy using the bright, new premises, which are comfortable, attractive and child-friendly. They are nurtured in a clean, safe and secure environment, where the ample space is used very effectively, to provide an excellent range of activities. Children's care is underpinned by all the required documentation. However, the child protection policy is incomplete regarding procedures to be followed in the event of an

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Organisation

allegation against a member of staff, the complaints procedure is inaccurate regarding the role and contact details of Ofsted, and some accident records are not shared appropriately with parents of very young children. Leadership and management are good. The Centre Manager provides supportive leadership and has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery education. She has implemented effective systems for monitoring the quality of provision. A new advisory teacher is now in post and an action plan is in place, to build on the existing good practice and to develop improved planning and assessment systems, so that children's individual learning needs can be consistently met. The nursery meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. 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

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 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): • make sure that children's welfare is always underpinned by current and comprehensive documentation, including an appropriately detailed child protection policy, up-to-date complaints procedure and records of accidents which are always signed by parents • continue to improve systems for regularly sharing with parents detailed information about their child's progress, so that they can fully support learning and development.

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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): • continue to develop assessment and planning systems, to ensure that children's individual learning needs are always met • consistently provide appropriate challenges for the most able children, especially in developing their understanding of letter sounds and number patterns.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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