Rainbow Day Nursery

Rainbow Day Nursery Former Village School, Grantchester Road, Trumpington, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 9LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/11/2012 03/09/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 This warm and friendly setting has very good partnerships with parents. Practitioners welcome each child and parent by name, which parents say reassures them that their children are valued and treated as individuals.  The setting makes good use of the indoor and outdoor spaces to ensure children have ample opportunities to make their own choices about their play.  Practitioners working with older children are skilled and confident in the use of sounds and letters, which enables them to promote children's communication and language skills very well.  Relationships between adults and children are exceptionally strong at all levels. As a result, children are motivated and confident learners.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are not enough images of the children themselves and their families.  Practitioners are not always fully effective in enabling children to think about other possibilities through open ended questioning.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children and their interactions with practitioners throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke with practitioners at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the manager and the provider to look at underpinning systems.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussions, questionnaires and testimonials.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow Day Nursery was registered in 2006 and is privately owned and managed. It operates from a former village school in Trumpington, Cambridge. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery opens each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and accepts children between the ages of birth and five years. There are currently 64 children aged from five months to under five years on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and a small number of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 12 members of staff, of these, four hold qualifications at level 3, two hold qualifications at level 2, the manager has a foundation degree and the owner, who works in the setting on

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Information about the setting

a daily basis, holds qualified teacher status. Three members of staff are currently improving their qualifications.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 extend further the use of open ended questions to enhance young children's ability to express their feelings and ideas, think creatively and consider what else is possible

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 celebrate each child's contribution to the setting, for example, by making photographic books about the children or displaying images of themselves, their families, friends, pets and special people.

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who attend

Practitioners plan and provide a well-balanced educational programme that effectively covers all the areas of learning. Children are happy and settled and have strong relationships with the adults around them. This gives them confidence to explore the activities and demonstrate their knowledge. Practitioners working with older children are particularly skilled in developing children's learning and communication. They enthuse children with lively and spontaneous storytelling, actively promoting a love of reading at an early age. Children listen well to practitioners as they learn about initial sounds in fun ways. For example, in circle time four-year-olds sing the 'h' song and recognise objects that begin with 'h'. Later they show they remember the letter well, excitedly telling an adult that they have found a hook in the garden, and this has the same initial sound. Throughout the nursery the rooms are rich in letters, words and numbers, enabling

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who attend

children to learn to value print from an early age.

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who attend

Practitioners working with babies show a good knowledge of each child's stage of development. Resources are deployed well, attracting babies' attention. Practitioners model playing with shape sorters and electronic toys so babies soon learn about action and response. Songs and music are used effectively to encourage young children to develop an interest in rhythm and movement. Practitioners encourage babies and toddlers to develop their independence well, for example, they are given spoons to feed themselves at lunchtimes. This effectively supports their future learning. Practitioners interact with younger children well, giving them good eye contact and lots of reassurance. As a result, children display good levels of independence, given their age and stage of development.

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who attend

Most practitioners show a very good understanding of how children learn and there are solid and effective processes for observing and assessing what children can do. This ensures that children are challenged and interested and make good progress in their learning and development. Activities are broad based, and many involve children in the preparation, for example, younger children choose craft resources and older children make their own play dough. Good quality adult-led activities complement the free-flow continuous provision. Adults provoke children's curiosity well, for example, together they extract old play dough from a machine, and then compare this dried up piece with the fresh new dough. 'It's all squishy', a three-year-old agrees. During some small group activities the use of open-ended questioning is inconsistent, which means opportunities are missed to enhance children's ability to think creatively and consider what else is

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who attend

Practitioners have high expectations of all children because they have a thorough understanding of what children can do before they start. Parents provide lots of initial information about their children's interest and abilities at home and this is a firm base for children's starting points. Practitioners talk to parents and carers on an ongoing basis to find out what children enjoy at home. Parents can see their child's assessment record at any time and are encouraged to add their comments. Shared daily diaries, parents' 'wow' boards and the nursery bear all enable parents to be involved in their children's learning. Practitioners are skilled in supporting families who have English as an additional language. Strategies, such as talking books, are successfully used to help both adults and children communicate effectively. Progress in communication and language takes into account the children's abilities in their home language, as well as the English they use in nursery. This

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who attend

helps to ensure any potential difficulties are identified in order to narrow any gaps in their learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Settling in procedures are individualised and therefore support families well during their transition between home and the nursery. A well-established key person system ensures that children form strong attachments. Each key person has a buddy so care is consistent, even in the absence of the child's special person. Because children have good opportunities to move around the setting and mix with other children and adults, transitions within the nursery are happy experiences for both children and their parents. Secure and well-developed partnerships with other local providers mean children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Babies' emotional development is assured as they benefit from consistent well-trained practitioners who clearly enjoy their jobs. Babies sleep according to their home routines and there are comfortable chairs within the baby rooms so they can be cuddled and nursed. This ensures their emotional needs are well

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Behaviour within the nursery is good in all areas because practitioners have high expectations. Older children cheerfully join in with tidying away their special books and practitioners skilfully encourage them to take part in sharing games. Difficulties with sharing are discussed and explained as appropriate for the age and stage of the children. Children show good levels of self-esteem because practitioners are attentive and value their contributions. Practitioners know the children well and work closely with parents to build a secure understanding of their needs and interests. Children's individual backgrounds are known and respected so children feel safe and valued. Resources, such as books, small world toys and dressing up clothes broadly reflect the diversity of the families who attend. Displays that enhance children's sense of belonging, such as photographs and books that show themselves and their special people and places are

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

fewer in number. Practitioners work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure any additional needs are met. Clear records are made of any accidents or medication administered. Robust systems ensure that practitioners are aware of children's allergies or food preferences, which keeps them safe.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children enjoy a good variety of meals and snacks that are designed to meet their individual needs. Babies are seated comfortably at meal times and are supported well by practitioners. Mealtimes can be flexible so no baby becomes over-tired or over-hungry. This creates a calm and relaxed environment for meals. Adults sit with toddlers and older children so they can discuss the foods and decide what is good for them. All children learn sensible hygiene routines because staff act as good role models and explain to children about having clean hands. Older children are aware of their own needs, for example, they help themselves to their water independently. All the children enjoy daily access to the outdoor area. The location of the play area does not lend itself well to free-flow play, but practitioners are well aware of the benefits of outdoor play. Consequently, they ensure children have plenty of time in the fresh air. Children are appropriately clothed to enjoy

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

their time outdoors in inclement weather and have a good stock of umbrellas for rainy days. Practitioners play active games with children, for example, three- and four-year-olds enjoy a lively game of 'What's the time Mr Wolf'. A well-stocked vegetable garden shows that children have good opportunities to learn about lifecycles and grow foods that are good for them. Additionally, children and babies go out regularly for walks so they learn about their local community.

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provision

The provider and manager are a strong team and have high aspirations. They have a good understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In speedy response to the revised EYFS the provider has put into place effective supervision arrangements, where practitioners meet with her or her manager to discuss their ideas, review practice and identify areas for concern. This, in addition to the annual appraisals, is enabling the setting to make changes and improvements that have a positive impact on children's well- being. For example, continuous provision is very good quality, with well-deployed resources in all areas of the nursery that enable children to be independent in their learning. Professional development of all practitioners is supported well with several currently improving their qualification. They say this is a well-run setting and their morale

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provision

Secure recruitment systems are in place to ensure that all adults working with the children are safe and suitable to do so. Thorough induction procedures ensure that new staff understand their role and responsibilities. Two members of staff have attended the designated person training for safeguarding to ensure there is always someone present to deal with any potential child protection concerns. Practitioners are clear about the procedures and know how to access the information they need to protect children. All attend at least the basic safeguarding training to ensure they are competent. All practitioners attend first aid training so they can offer children suitable support in the event of an accident. The premises are safe and secure because each practitioner is aware of their responsibilities to assess and minimise risks to children. All children are carefully supervised and adult deployment is very effective. Children are involved in safety

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provision

procedures, such as the fire drill and outdoor safety checks, so they develop the ability to assess risks and keep themselves safe. Partnership working with other professionals and agencies is well established and used to identify children's needs to help them make progress. There are close links with the local children's centre, and parents are signposted there if they need guidance, for example, where there are concerns about speech and language, or behaviour management. Local school teachers visit the nursery during the summer so those children moving on can make secure transitions.

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provision

The partnerships with parents is exceptionally good and contributes well to children's ability to make good progress. Parents praise the practitioners and say they are friendly and approachable. They are delighted with the warm greeting they get on arrival and say it is pleasing to be known by their names so quickly. Parents who were anxious settling children in say the provider was empathetic and enabled them to stay in the building until they were reassured their child was happily occupied. Other parents say the practitioners take a very good account of their individual family backgrounds, and work well with them, particularly where there are family issues that affect children's well-being. Parents say they feel well informed and are involved in their children's learning. They say the new website contributes well to this, enabling them to find out about activities, topics and themes. Effective self-evaluation highlights the nursery's strengths and there is a clear

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provision

action plan to prioritise areas for development. The views of children, parents and practitioners are taken into account, for example, practitioners saw the need to improve children's play opportunities in the outdoor area. Plans are now underway to visit settings that implement Forest School principles.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY309816 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 820364

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 53 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Melissa Jane Murfet Date of previous inspection 03/09/2009 Telephone number 01223 847444

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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 assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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