The New Rainbow House Kindergarten

The New Rainbow House Kindergarten Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY290821 Inspection date 03/03/2010 Inspector Lisa Patterson

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Setting address 113 Victoria Road East, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 5HQ Telephone number 01253 862027 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

The New Rainbow House Kindergarten is one of two nurseries run by the same owner. It opened in 2004 and operates from three rooms in a detached single- storey building. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is situated in Thornton, close to the seaside town of Cleveleys. Many of the children who attend come from the local area. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm throughout the year, excluding Christmas and bank holidays.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 66 children may attend the nursery at any one time. There are currently 70 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. The setting supports children who speak English as an additional language. The setting provides funded education for three and four-year-olds.

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Description of the setting

There are 18 members of staff including the owner, of whom 15 hold early years qualifications to at least level 2. The manager holds a level 4 childcare qualification and is working towards a Foundation Degree in Early Years. The nursery receives support and guidance from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's uniqueness is valued, respected and fully catered for through close partnerships with parents, other settings and outside agencies where required. The nursery supports each individual child and they make good progress towards the early learning goals, however, staff do not always use every opportunity both indoors and out for promoting learning and there are inconsistencies in the monitoring of children's progress. Children's welfare is fully supported through clear and well-implemented procedures, and staff training in safeguarding is up-to- date. There is a clear vision for the setting which is shared with staff and parents, and evaluation systems are well used to continually monitor the success of the nursery.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 provide consistency in the staff team with regard to the monitoring of children's development through using a range of assessment techniques to track their progression  extend outdoor opportunities for children to develop their skills in all areas of learning and make more use of incidental activities and the displays in the setting to support skills in language and numeracy  update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for outings and trips. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because all staff are required to undertake regular training and have a secure understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedure to follow should they have a concern. There is a comprehensive policy document available to them and all required contact details are easily accessible in the office. Risk assessments are vigilantly carried out, with daily checklists undertaken and recorded in each of the play areas. While staff have a clear understanding of risks associated with the outings they take part in, this information is not fully included in the written risk assessment. All other required documentation is in place and completed clearly. This maintains the children's safety.

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the early years provision

The setting has a clear vision for the future and has made good use of the Ofsted self-evaluation form to identify and monitor areas for development. The staff team is fully involved in evaluating the physical setting and good use is made of training and funding to extend the learning that takes place. The setting has recently improved children's access to information and communication technology equipment through staff's attendance at training and the purchasing of additional equipment. There are extensive plans to improve access to the outdoor area to increase children's opportunities across all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

Resources are attractively displayed, with low-level, labelled storage allowing ease of access to all children and ensuring their individual requirements are met. Staff are well-deployed to support the children, and interactions stimulate children's thinking. The key person system works very well in practice and offers continuity of care between home and nursery. Recent changes to the layout of the main room has meant that interactive displays have been temporarily covered and some areas are underused. Children cannot currently use the self-registration boards and this means that opportunities to use their names for this and other purposes are limited.

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the early years provision

The setting has good relationships with parents. Those spoken to commented on the safety and security of the setting, and how they are kept well-informed about their children's progress both daily and through their individual records. One parent summed up her thoughts by saying 'I love it, it's brilliant'. Staff and parents work well together to make sure individual needs are fully met. Parents of children for whom English is an additional language, for example, work closely with staff to introduce words and statements from their first language to help them to settle. Partnerships with other settings are maintained through sharing children's individual booklets and face-to-face meetings with staff from other settings on drop-off. This provides an holistic view of the child and ensures all their needs are understood and effectively catered for. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children have great fun at the setting and are making good progress in all areas of learning. They confidently join in with song and rhyme time on the carpet and follow the instructions on the action CD. They independently select from a wide range of easily accessible resources, both indoors and out, and move freely from one activity to another with staff close at hand to join in the fun and challenge their understanding. Children make food in the kitchen area and dress each other up, acting the part of princesses. They listen well to each other and to staff, both on the carpet and in group times, and are developing some mark-making skills through planned activities and through attempting to write their names on their work. Staff bring story time to life by using story sacks, giving children some responsibilities for actions, voices and puppets. The attractive and well-resourced mark-making area is currently underused due to rearrangement of furniture,

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and outcomes for children

though staff have identified this as an area to develop both indoors and out. Children enjoy counting and learning about the days of the week through routine activities, such as carpet times, however opportunities are sometimes not used during incidental activities both indoors and out for developing calculation skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very skilled in using the information and communication technology equipment and staff are on hand to support their needs. They use programmable toys and the digital camera as well as play educational games on the computers. There is a wide variety of resources and activities portraying positive images of the world, with many labels in the setting being dual-language to support children for whom English is an additional language. Children learn to look after the world through reusing items to make models and learning not to waste food. They thoroughly enjoy the music man who comes twice per week for active music sessions and staff reinforce the skills learned during the week. There are many opportunities to be creative throughout the nursery and older children expertly handle scissors, paint brushes, rolling pins and pencils. Children balance on the beams outside and move with precision up and down the slide and climbing

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and outcomes for children

Individual learning journeys are available for every child and these show progression through photographs and incidental observations, from which activities are planned. There are, however, inconsistencies across the nursery regarding the effectiveness of how children's starting points and next steps are identified and monitored. This is constantly under review and both nurseries in the group are working together to develop effective monitoring systems.

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and outcomes for children

Children are safe in the setting. Staff remind them about how to behave and there is an industrious atmosphere throughout the day. Babies are secure and safe and know that if they lift their hands their preferred adult will be on hand to comfort them. They respond well to rules, such as waiting for a staff member to be outside prior to them accessing the area, and know that this is to keep them safe. They are reminded to wash their hands prior to handling food and staff explain about germs and act as good role models. They talk with excitement about the different fruits on offer at snack time and many choose a healthy option over pudding This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 during lunches. Children access the outdoor area in all weathers and are taken for walks on a daily basis. This provides the basis of a healthy lifestyle. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and children are reminded to use their manners at

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and outcomes for children

all times. This helps them to understand the moral codes of society. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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