Rainbow Day Nursery

Rainbow Day Nursery

Inspection report for early years provision

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Rainbow Day Nursery

EY309816 Unique Reference Number 26 September 2006 Inspection date Jean Goodrick Inspector

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Rainbow Day Nursery

Former Village School, Granchester Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 2LH

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E-mail

Melissa Jane Murfet Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Full day care Type of 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

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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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

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

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Rainbow Day Nursery opened in January 2003 and operates from the old school building in a village to the south of Cambridge.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 41 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The nursery is open each weekday from 08.00 to 18.00 for 50 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 39 children aged from three months to under four years on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is in the process of registering to provide nursery education. Children generally come from the wider area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The nursery employs seven staff. Five of the staff, including the manager, hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health and well-being is promoted and they are protected from the risks of cross-infection by good hygiene procedures. For example, staff use gloves and aprons when changing nappies and clean the changing mats thoroughly after use. Older children competently wash their hands during the daily routine. Effective procedures and clear documents are in place to ensure children's individual dietary and medical needs are met, for example all medical consents are obtained from parents and the records are kept appropriately. Several staff have current first aid certificates so that they are confident to take the necessary action for the welfare of children.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children enjoy sufficient quantities of food and drink to ensure their nutritional needs are well met. Parents provide meals and the snacks provided by the nursery include healthy options such as a variety of fresh and dried fruit. Meals are social occasions where some independence is fostered. Babies receive tender care during their daily routines as they are cuddled whilst being bottle fed and given plenty of individual support and encouragement at meal times.

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Helping children to be healthy

Good routines for sleep and quiet times are in place, which ensures that all children are well-rested. Babies follow their home routines as staff work closely and flexibly with parents. They have plenty of space to crawl and pull themselves to standing on the suitable furniture. Children learn about a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a range of physical activities, both indoor and outdoors, such as climbing on large apparatus, pedalling bikes, and throwing balls. This ensures that all children benefit from physical activity to promote their good health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean and well-maintained environment; they can move around freely and safely in the ample space provided. Children's safety is enhanced by good security procedures used to restrict access to the setting and safety measures, such as socket covers and regular fire drills mean that risks are minimised. Action has been taken to put wheels on the cots so that staff can get babies out of the building quickly. The outdoor area is secure and staff supervise children well so they can play safely. However risk assessments do not include written procedures to ensure that children are kept safe on outings.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn about keeping safe as staff explain the dangers to them. This helps children to develop their understanding of hazards and to take responsibility for themselves. Children use a good range of safe equipment and resources that are generally appropriate for their age and stage of development. They readily access the toys and activities and follow their own interests.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected and kept safe from harm as the staff are aware of the child protection procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and have the necessary skills to identify signs and symptoms.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. All children are happy and settled in the nursery and they enjoy positive relationships with the staff and each other. Babies, particularly, enjoy warm and affectionate relationships with staff, who are sensitive to their needs. This contributes to their sense of belonging and encourages them to develop their growing skills. For example, early communication skills are developed through lots of positive interaction with the staff. Babies respond delightedly to spontaneous singing and toddlers 'snuggle' in for stories and rhymes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff generally have a good understanding of child development and a satisfactory range of activities are provided for toddlers and older children. They readily select books to look at in the cosy book corners and develop imaginative games with construction toys and small world activities. Children benefit from an appropriate range of practical activities that follow the 'Birth to three matters' framework. However they are not always well supported by staff in developing their activities to ensure that older and more able children have sufficient stimulation and challenge. Children enjoy messy play but they have limited opportunities to explore a range of sensory experiences with a variety of media, including natural materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are listened and responded to with great respect so that they develop good self esteem. They form good relationships with other children as they play alongside them and learn to share resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are met as the nursery gathers clear information from parents and this contributes to children's well-being. Staff get to know children and their families very well so that they have a good sense of belonging. Children access a range of suitable resources, which promote a positive view of the wider world and help them to understand about their differences and similarities. There are no children with special educational needs on roll at present. However systems are in place to ensure they will be made welcome and supported appropriately.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Older children behave well and demonstrate a good understanding of the rules for good behaviour with the support of staff. They learn social skills at meal times such as saying 'please' and 'thank you' and co operate in activities, for instance building a duplo tower together.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Good settling-in procedures promote children's welfare and support them in the transition between home and nursery. This ensures that children feel secure and they settle readily. Parents appreciate the 'family' atmosphere and the good communication with staff, including a daily diary. However, parents do not have easy access to information about raising complaints and concerns and how to contact Ofsted.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from the generally well organised and efficiently run setting. However on the day of inspection a student who has not been vetted was not always supervised whilst working with the children and mistakenly included in staff ratios. This has the potential to adversely affect children's welfare. Apart from this lapse there are sound recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff are well qualified and have appropriate skills to work with children. All required documentation is in place, which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being. Over half of the staff team hold appropriate early years qualifications and they have good opportunities to attend further training to improve outcomes for children.

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Organisation

Children are happy and content at the nursery and they enjoy warm and caring relationships with the staff. Time, space and resources are generally used effectively so that daily routines include time to rest and be active and space for a variety of suitable activities with a range of good quality resources.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. 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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that staff who have not been vetted, including students, are supervised at all times

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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 • ensure that children have appropriate challenges so that their development is promoted, including further opportunities for creative and imaginative play using a variety of media and materials • devise a system for recording complaints and concerns and display information for parents showing how to contact Ofsted

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The quality and standards of the care

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 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

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