Rainbow Day Nursery

Rainbow Day Nursery - Lymm Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY404796 Inspection date 25/05/2010 Inspector Susan Patricia Birkenhead

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Setting address 28 Church Road, LYMM, Cheshire, WA13 0QQ

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Telephone number 01925756569 Email rainbowdaynursery@hotmail.co.uk 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

Rainbow Day Nursery was registered under the current owner in 2009. The setting is one of two nurseries privately owned and operates from a former health club situated in the village of Lymm, Cheshire. Children are cared for within four fully accessible rooms located on the ground floor. There are secure areas available for outdoor play. A maximum of 72 children aged from birth to five years may attend the setting at any one time. The setting is open five days a week from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. Children attend from the local community and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 70 children on roll in the early years age group. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. The setting supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs 17 members of staff, including the manager. One staff member is working towards a foundation degree in early years practice, nine staff are qualified to level 3 in early years and four staff are qualified to level 2. Of the four remaining staff, two are working towards a recognised early years qualification. In addition, the setting employs a cook. The setting receives support from the local authority early years consultant.

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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

The nursery provides a very welcoming and inclusive environment where children are happy, secure and settle well. Staff work effectively as a team to ensure the welfare, learning and development requirements of the individual children are successfully met, consequently, they make good progress towards the early learning goals. Effective procedures are developing well to ensure good relationships between parents, carers and outside agencies are maintained, which significantly contribute to the children's care and learning. However, procedures for maintaining links with other providers are not fully implemented. The management team demonstrates a positive commitment to the continuous development of the nursery practices. Appropriate systems for self-evaluation are in the early stages.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further opportunities to extend children's understanding of technology  extend details within the complaints procedure and ensure the recording system is in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage  extend systems for self-evaluation to fully reflect the strengths of the nursery and develop links with other settings children attend. 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 positively safeguarded because the staff have a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedures for reporting concerns. Many staff have already completed relevant training and plans are in place for others to attend in the near future. Robust recruitment procedures ensure the suitability of all staff employed. Good systems to ensure children’s safety include comprehensive risk assessments, the daily checks staff complete within the rooms, the use of necessary safety equipment, and monitoring of children as they sleep. Written policies underpin the good practice and the comprehensive safeguarding policy outlines effective procedures should allegations be made against staff. However, the complaints policy does not fully reflect the procedures, including timescales for dealing with complaints. Many staff hold early years qualifications and show a positive commitment to extending their knowledge and skills through additional

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the early years provision

training to promote better outcomes for children. The management team and staff are working together well to develop appropriate systems for monitoring and evaluating nursery practices. For example, they all contribute to the self-evaluation form which is partly complete and obtain parents' views through the questionnaire they send out. In addition, staff have introduced a system for documenting changes, ideas and thoughts, which clearly reflect improvements. Management work to implement the action plan developed within associated timescales and are responsive to advice and guidance they receive from the early years consultant. Responses they receive from staff or parents are valued and given consideration. Consequently, these procedures support the positive commitment to the continuous development of the setting. All required documentation that contributes to the safe and efficient operation of the nursery is consistently completed, well

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the early years provision

organised and in the main kept up-to-date. However, the recording system for documenting complaints has not been updated in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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the early years provision

Good relationships develop with parents and opportunities for them to become involved in the setting are developing well. Parents say they are very happy with the service they receive and refer to the family-orientated environment promoted. Some value the opportunity to become involved in their children's learning by attending regular parent evenings and contributing to children's developmental profiles termly. The newsletters parents receive make them aware of changes and events within the nursery and provide opportunities to share suggestions of how to continue children’s learning at home. A wealth of information is on display and daybooks staff complete for babies inform parents of their child’s well-being, which some parents also use to share information. Other parents receive verbal feedback on collection from staff using information documented throughout the day. The management team recognise the importance of promoting links with other

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the early years provision

providers and very positive links develop with local schools to aid the children's smooth transition. However, for children currently attending additional settings, such practice has yet to be fully implemented to complement the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy, very confident and secure within the nursery where they develop positive friendships and develop good social skills. The good displays throughout the nursery contribute to the welcoming and inclusive environment where children’s sense of belonging is effectively promoted. Staff effectively organise the learning environment and deploy resources well. As a result, children are able to make decisions about their play, follow their interests and instigate their own learning, as well as take part in a good balance of adult-led activities. Staff positively interact with children to capture their attention, extend and challenge them as well as promote enjoyment in their learning. For example, they ask open-ended questions when leading a water play activity and, as a result, children experiment and recognise items that sink or float. They positively learn about the natural world as they grow plants from seeds or beans using compost or

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and outcomes for children

water. They compare size and know they need water and light to make them grow. Consequently, children become inquisitive and are active in their learning. Activity planning is consistent throughout the nursery and approached with greater flexibility for babies. Staff take account of the children's individual interests and the documented continuous provision on display links them to the areas of learning. The children's individual profiles incorporate photographic evidence and regular observations, which are both spontaneous and focused, and a summary of their development progress is updated termly. These are linked to the areas of learning to monitor children’s next steps and the good progress they make towards the early learning goals, using the recently introduced starting points as a baseline.

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and outcomes for children

The provision of the well-resourced outdoor areas continues to extend all children’s learning when playing outside. For example, they can explore sounds as they access the pots and pans that hang on the line and act out the 'bear hunt' using shaving foam and compost to recreate aspects of the story and a cardboard box for the 'cave'. Opportunities both indoors and outside allow children to develop their imagination well. For example, they play very cooperatively and show excitement as they create a 'crocodile river' using the shaped construction and the stepping-stones. They learn about spatial awareness as they manoeuvre the wheeled toys or take part in group games to promote their physical skills. Children’s understanding of number and problem solving is incorporated into all activities and discussion and number templates are a common feature throughout the nursery. For example, staff count the number of times a young child throws

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and outcomes for children

the ball to them, when discussing the date older children recall that the numbers two and five make '25' and they recreate patterns using coloured blocks and shaped biscuits. By exploring play materials, younger children are learning to operate simple interactive resources and older children develop the necessary skills for operating the tape recorder and remote controlled cars. However, staff recognise how the additional provision of resources could further promote the children's understanding of technology. Children of all ages have many varied opportunities to develop their senses and creative skills. They enjoy exploring the jelly, the natural materials in the treasure basket and take part in fruit tasting sessions. They use various media for collage, such as the egg cartons, for making flowers they display. Older children learn about letters and sounds and some This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

skilfully spell out the letters of their name. Children talk about ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and some confidently draw pictures of the characters from the story, such as the giant, therefore giving meaning to the marks they make. They listen to the story on tape and are heard discussing particular aspects they like. This effectively contributes to the children’s literacy skills and enjoyment of books. Outcomes for children are positive, therefore contributing to the development of their future skills.

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and outcomes for children

Young children indicate they feel safe by holding out their arms to familiar staff for comfort when they are tired or upset. Older children confidently explain they feel safe at the nursery 'because the teachers are here' and one child comments how having his friend there makes him feel safe. They develop a positive understanding of personal hygiene from a young age through the routines staff follow. Older children recall 'we wash our hands before lunch and use soap to make them clean and get rid of the germs’. The rotating menus reflect the healthy, balanced diet children receive, which includes fresh fruit and vegetables daily. The experienced cook freshly prepares all meals. Older children competently select fruit of their choice during the rolling snack programme, skilfully pour their milk or water and young children learn to feed themselves. This contributes to the development of their self-help skills and promotes their independence well. Children have access to

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and outcomes for children

a range of resources and activities, such as the celebration of some festivals to promote diversity and acknowledge cultural differences. Positive techniques for the effective management of children’s behaviour foster the development of their self- esteem and confidence. As a result, children are very polite and well-behaved. 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 3 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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