Rainbow Nursery

Rainbow Nursery Rainbow Nursery, Almners Priory, Almners Road, Lyne, CHERTSEY, Surrey, KT16 0BH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/04/2013 11/10/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 2 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children are happy and settled in the nursery and have good relationships with staff and each other. They show good levels of independence, curiosity and imagination and are motivated to learn.  Staff provide a broad range of interesting activities for children that help them make good progress in their learning, in relation to their starting points and capabilities.  Children have access to extensive outdoor play facilities including spacious gardens, a number of playgrounds, a maze, a farm and an allotment. They enjoy a wide variety of stimulating outdoor experiences across all areas of the curriculum.  The management team are committed to continually developing and improving the nursery.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider recently failed to ensure that risk assessment procedures were sufficiently robust and that all equipment was safe. However they have now taken action to ensure the outdoor area and equipment are regularly and robustly assessed to ensure children's safety.  The lunchtime routine in Tulip room results in children waiting for an extended period of time while staff set up lunch and prepare for sleep time, rather than being used to benefit children's development.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 children taking part in indoor and outdoor activities and during meals and care routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and providers and had discussions with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records including children's files, planning, staff suitability records and complaint and accident records.  The inspector looked around the premises and grounds.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents and also took account of their views through email comments and letters received by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow Nursery registered in 2012 and is privately owned. It operates from a 12th century, converted priory in extensive grounds. The nursery is situated in a rural area of Chertsey, in Surrey. Children are based in nine group rooms according to their age. They have access to a variety of outdoor play areas, including an animal sanctuary, play bus, maze, farm classroom and allotments.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. There are currently 336 children on roll, some of whom attend part-time. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years old. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

There are 58 members of staff who work with the children, 36 of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 and 3 and above. There are 11 staff currently working towards qualifications. The manager has Early Years Professional Status. The nursery also employs a number of other staff, including caterers, a receptionist and a maintenance team. The nursery receives support from the local authority through an early years advisor.

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

 review the organisation of lunchtime preparations for younger children, to ensure that they are not waiting too long while staff prepare the room for sleep routines.

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who attend

Children of all ages take part in a well-balanced curriculum at the nursery. Staff gather detailed information about children's background, needs and starting points. For instance, staff talk to parents before children start and ask parents to fill in comprehensive registration forms. Staff observe children's achievements closely and show a good understanding of how to support their learning through play. This ensures that children take part in a wide variety of stimulating and challenging experiences that build on their skills and help them make good progress. Staff take account of any children with additional needs in their daily planning and adapt activities effectively to ensure all children can take part. Staff keep parents up to date through daily diary sheets for younger children and have verbal discussions with all parents every day. Staff provide parents with useful information about the activities planned for the following week, so

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who attend

they can continue topics, songs or stories outside of the nursery if they wish. This helps involve parents in their child's learning.

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who attend

Children learn a wide variety of useful skills and attitudes that help prepare them well for the next stage of learning and for school. Older children listen attentively at circle time, speak confidently and cooperate well as they play together, learning to share and take turns. Younger children explore their environment confidently and begin to do things for themselves. Staff throughout the nursery skilfully support children's language development by talking to them as they play, introducing new vocabulary and asking questions that make children think. Staff successfully promote children's love of books by creating cosy, inviting dens where children can snuggle up and share a story. Older children enthusiastically join in with familiar words and phrases when staff read them a favourite book. Younger children enjoy exploring the contents of a story sack.

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who attend

Staff make good use of every day activities to support children's understanding of number and encourage them to solve simple problems. Staff help children time each other as they run outside, encouraging them to work out if they can run quicker. Children weigh and measure ingredients during a cooking session and staff ask them to work out how many cake cases they will need. Staff plan interesting opportunities for children to investigate the world around them. Children are keen to search for mini-beasts in the allotment and observe them closely using magnifying glasses. Children enjoy a visit to see the donkeys in the nursery's farm. Staff successfully support children's skills in using technology. Older children independently handle a remote control toy, moving it around a large sheet of paper so it draws a picture. They confidently use a digital interactive table to complete simple programmes. Children are imaginative and staff encourage them to express their

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who attend

creativity. Young children explore a range of media, making potato prints or using paper and glue to make a hot air balloon. Children play together in the home corner, dressing up, making tea or pretending to be the teacher, taking with them a register, with a clip- board and pen. Children of all ages respond to songs and music enthusiastically, moving their bodies to the rhythm and joining in with familiar actions and words.

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

Children are confident and settled in the nursery. They have good relationships with staff and play cooperatively with their friends. A well established key person system means that children benefit from consistent carers who get to know them well. Staff take particular care to mirror the home routines of babies when they first start. This helps young children settle well and successfully promotes their physical and emotional well-being. Staff are calm and positive in their approach, which helps children behave well. They are sensitive to children's individual needs and are comforting and supportive if children are upset. Children grow in independence. Young babies move around their room with increasing confidence, choosing resources from the low shelves. Older children pour their own drinks at snack time and take care of their belongings, hanging up their coat when they come in. The nursery is welcoming and well-equipped. A wide variety of age-appropriate resources

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

are available for children to choose from both indoors and outside. Staff are vigilant in supervising children at all times. For instance, they take them outside in small groups so they can watch them closely. They now record their daily checks of resources and sign to confirm that everything is safe for use. However, a recent lapse in checking outdoor equipment is safe for children's use has compromised children's safety and well-being. Children gain an understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe when they learn to come down the stairs carefully when they go to the dining room or outside. They remember why it might be dangerous to stand on a toy and that someone may get hurt if you throw things. Children of all ages take part in regular fire drills so that everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

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

Staff promote children's good health effectively. From a young age, children learn to manage their own personal needs when they wash their hands before they eat. They know they must also wash them after digging for mini-beasts in the earth outside. Older children confidently get a tissue to blow their nose and throw it away carefully afterwards. Staff follow careful procedures for changing nappies, such as wearing aprons and gloves, which help minimise the risk of cross-contamination. Children benefit from varied, nutritious meals that are freshly prepared on the premises and take into account their dietary needs. They enjoy some tasty lamb or vegetarian moussaka for lunch and a good selection of fruit at snack time. However lunchtime preparations in Tulip room result in children having to wait for lunch while staff are engaged in setting up sleep mats and children are brought in to sleep. Staff entertain the waiting children with songs and action

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

rhymes as well as stories but these only occupy them for a short time. Staff comfort children who become upset as they wait at the tables for their lunch. Children play outside every day as part of a healthy lifestyle and they enjoy being active. They have fun practising their physical skills in a tennis session or on the climbing frame, playing running races or joining in a treasure hunt.

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provision

Children's welfare is safeguarded appropriately overall. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that staff are suitably vetted and qualified. Staff have well-defined roles and responsibilities and their status is clearly indicated by the colour of their polo shirt. This means staff who are unqualified or whose checks are still in progress are easily identified. The management team monitor staff performance through regular supervision and appraisals and ensure training plans are in place. Managers organise additional training where necessary, for instance they arranged for extra safeguarding courses so that all staff could attend. This approach results in a well-trained and supported staff group. All required documentation that supports the smooth day to day running of the setting is in place.

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provision

The inspection took place following an accident to a child who was injured by falling off a three wheeled scooter in the outdoor area. The inspection found staff were aware of their responsibilities and took immediate action to obtain appropriate treatment and inform the relevant authorities. However although risk assessments were in place the risk assessment from the time of the accident relied too heavily on staff vigilance rather than systematic checking of resources such as outdoor play equipment. As a result children's safety was compromised as damaged and unsafe equipment was available for them to use. The management team have now fully reviewed their risk assessment procedures and implemented more rigorous systems for monitoring the safety of the outdoor play areas and resources. In addition, they have initiated a full health and safety audit of the outdoor play facilities through an external agency, to make sure that they are doing everything

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provision

The manager and providers are committed to continually improving the nursery. They have clear plans for development and take well-targeted action to improve outcomes for children where needed. The manager and providers make sure staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements through mentoring and training. They rigorously monitor and review the educational provision, for instance there are weekly room evaluations and staff use tracking sheets to monitor children's progress closely. Staff recently reorganised rooms for the youngest children so they have better independent access to resources and their own sensory room. This has increased children's choice and the range of stimulating activities available to them.

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provision

Staff have also worked hard to increase the involvement of parents in the nursery, introducing weekly email newsletters and encouraging them to share information from home. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and express their appreciation of the friendly, approachable staff team. Parents comment that staff treat their child as an individual and feel that they meet children's needs well. Parents are happy with day to day communication and feel well-informed. They are provided with written progress reports to which they add their own comments. Children's next steps are added to returned reports and the report sent home again enabling parents to support their child's learning at home. However, sometimes parents do not return reports in a timely way, and some staff have been waiting for a response for a number of weeks. As a result these children's next steps are not shared with parents as successfully and they are not always fully up to date with

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provision

Staff also build effective working partnerships with other professionals or early years settings where needed. For instance, they share information about progress and development so that children experience a consistent approach to their learning and care. This helps ensure that staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well and effective individual plans are in place.

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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 action. 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 EY449822 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 911799 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 224 Number of children on roll 336 Name of provider Almners (Childcare) Ltd Date of previous inspection 11/10/2012 Telephone number 01932 570888

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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