Rainbow Playgroup

Rainbow Playgroup Falconwood Community Centre, 31-39 Falconwood Parade, WELLING, Kent, DA16 2PG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/05/2013 09/07/2009

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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

 Children are happy, motivated and eager to learn, because staff encourage them to explore and develop their imagination and creative thinking.  Staff engage with parents positively to support their children's development and learning in the pre-school and at home. The good partnerships with other settings provide continuity in children's learning and care.  Children and staff have strong emotional attachments due to the well-established key person system.  The nursery shares relevant information with schools when children move on to primary school. They plan excellent activities and events to teach children about starting school, which helps children to feel prepared for changes in their life.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Some occasions within the routine become noisy and some group activities are too long for young children's needs. This means that some children are not able to concentrate and fully participate.  Systems for the supervision of staff are still developing and do not yet specifically target how individual staff can develop their practice.

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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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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the pre-school and the outside learning environment.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector took account of views of parents spoken to during the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and discussions with staff.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow pre-school was registered in 1992 and is managed by a parent committee. It operates from Falconwood Community Centre, in the London Borough of Bexley. Children use a main room, a conservatory and an enclosed outdoor area. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Opening hours are every weekday from 9.30am to 12.30pm, term time only. The pre- school employs five members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are currently 29 children attending who are in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 adapt the daily routine in order to manage noise levels and group activities, so that all children are able to concentrate and become fully involved

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

 strengthen the existing systems for supervision of staff in order to promote consistency and continuous improvement throughout the provision.

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who attend

Children make consistent progress in this stimulating pre-school. Each child is allocated a key member of staff who works closely in partnership with parents when children settle in. Therefore, staff get to know the children well and have and good understanding of their development. Key persons monitor children's progress well though observations and assessments. They use this information to plan next steps for each individual children across all area of learning. This means all children are effectively challenged and benefit from well-planned, engaging and enjoyable activities to support their specific needs. Staff undertake the required two-year check for younger children and continually liaise with parents to involve them in their children's learning.

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who attend

Staff skilfully take part in children's play and further motivate their learning by asking questions to support their imagination and creative thinking. For example, as children pretend to sail on the pirate ship in the outdoor area, staff ask them if they can see land and what they think they may find there. Children become very excited and pretend to search for treasure and look for whales and sharks in the water. As they play, children are keen to share their thoughts, listen to others and take turns. Staff provide good opportunities to enable children to express themselves creatively. Children enjoy creative activities and explore textures and patterns as they make collage. Staff offer lots of praise and recognition for their efforts, they help children to think about what they are going to create, which encourages them to plan their work. Consequently, children have a deep sense of achievement and are very proud of their own unique collage.

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who attend

Most children enjoy talking about their experiences as they sit together during register and circle time. Staff teach them the days of the week and months of the year, through songs and rhymes. Many children become absorbed in stories and staff skilfully involve them by leaving out phrases, which children excitedly call out. However, these activities occasionally, involve younger children sitting for too long and losing interest in the discussions and stories.

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who attend

Staff plan for a good range of mathematical activities, children enjoy puzzles, problem solving games and sing counting songs. Staff encourage children to use mathematical thinking throughout their play. For example, they ask children to help count each other during register and encourage them to compare sizes, shapes and quantities of objects throughout their play. Staff display many signs, labels and pictures around the room to develop children's interest in print, letters and words. Children make the most of writing resources both inside and outside, they make marks enthusiastically, older children produce recognisable symbols and letters. These activities and support from staff provide children with plenty of challenge to support their learning and development. Consequently, children make good progress and are supported to develop skills to prepare them for school.

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who attend

Staff plan exciting events to enhance children's learning experiences, such as visits from the local ambulance and fire service. They take children on outings to interesting places such as a trips to a teddy bear factory, where children all join in making a 'rainbow bear' which they enjoy taking home when it is their turn. Furthermore, staff make the most of children's enthusiasm by taking the bear to a local school and taking photographs of it with teachers and in areas around the school that children will experience when start attending. Staff compile a book with the photographs, which children enjoy looking through. This demonstrates how staff have an excellent approach to helping children prepare for change and feel positive about the next stage in their learning.

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

All children and parents receive a warm welcome upon arrival at the pre-school. The successful key person system supports children in forming strong attachments to staff. Consequently, there are highly positive relationships across the pre-school. Staff support children to settle in and occasional upsets are very short lived as children soon settle and begin to play. Staff know the individual children very well and are highly perceptive to their needs. They respond immediately when children are upset or withdrawn and stop whatever they are doing to offer a cuddle and verbal reassurance. Their proactive approach shows that children's emotional well-being is given highest priority in the pre- school. As a result, children are secure and the pre-school has a very calm and positive atmosphere.

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

Children's good health is encouraged throughout the pre-school. Children make strides in their physical development and relish playing games using a good variety of equipment such as bikes, and climbing apparatus. These experiences enable them to explore the environment safely by taking safe risks with toys and equipment. Children help to pack away toys and equipment when they have finished playing, to keep the room tidy and safe.

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

The staff team work very well together and are good role models for the children. Generally, staff are confident in their roles and provide clear guidelines and boundaries to support children's behaviour. However, some staff do not manage the noise volumes as confidently as others, which result in the room become a noisy at times. However, children are very well behaved, collaborate with each other in their play and the pre-school routine provides an orderly, yet vibrant atmosphere.

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provision

A committee of parent representatives, a manager and a deputy manages the pre-school. Together they ensure that all staff undertake relevant safeguarding training so that they understand their responsibilities well. Staff carry out daily checks both inside and out and during outings to identify and remove any potential hazards, enabling children to play and learn in safety.

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provision

The management committee and staff team demonstrate a committed approach to meeting the learning and development requirements. They effectively drive and secure improvement through self-evaluation and incorporate the views of staff and parents. Therefore, they successfully identify strengths and weaknesses. Recent changes include improvements to assessment and planning, and plans for the future include developing the outdoor area further.

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provision

Systems for staff supervision are in the early stages and are not yet precise enough to focus sharply on all staff practice. However, staff attend a wide range of professional courses, which result in them having a thorough understanding of how to promote effective learning for all children.

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provision

Relationships between parents and staff are relaxed and extremely well established. Parents are very positive about the pre-school. They comment on how caring and supportive the staff team are and how well their children progress from attending the pre- school. Parents have regular discussions with key persons, which enable them to share learning priorities and enhance continuity in children's care. The pre-school has strong partnerships with other professionals and agencies. Staff visit local children's centres and primary schools and seek additional support for children when needed. This good practice effectively helps to support partnership working and continuity for children and their families.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 115363 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 842687 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 29 Name of provider Rainbow Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 09/07/2009 Telephone number 07518859079

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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

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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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