Rainbow Childcare Centres

Rainbow Childcare Centres Exton C of E Primary School, Garden Road, Exton, OAKHAM, Rutland, LE15 8AY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/04/2013 27/04/2012

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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 who are new or less settled are cared for by familiar staff, usually their key person. They are warm and sensitive to the children's individual needs, which helps them adjust from spending time at home with their parents to time in the nursery.  Children's interests are effectively followed by the staff. They support their learning by encouraging them to share their thoughts and ideas. Therefore, children are confident in expressing themselves and comfortable in their surroundings.  Children's behaviour is good; they are gaining a secure understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They are encouraged to be polite and use their manners, share and be kind to their friends.

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It is not yet good because

 Some adult-led activities are not well planned and do not take into account children's individual levels of development. Therefore, at times, children are not effectively challenged, which hinders the progress they make.  The record of children present on the premises is not maintained accurately at all times. This has an impact on children's safety. For example, should it be necessary to evacuate the nursery, the record does not always show who is present and who has left the building.  There is room to extend opportunities for children to think and respond to questions asked of them in order to become fully involved in conversations with adults.

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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 playroom and the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents as they were dropping off and collecting their children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with children, the provider, the manager and the staff at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector conducted joint observations with the nursery provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at records of children's learning and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow Childcare Centres was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of three privately run settings and operates from a mobile purpose-built building in the grounds of Exton C of E Primary School, in Oakham, Rutland. All children share access to the school playground.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 11 children on roll, eight of whom are within the early years age range. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm during term time and as required during school holidays. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The setting employs three members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. It receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 improve the planning of adult-led activities by fully taking account of the individual needs and the stage of development of each child, so that children are offered more challenging and enjoyable experiences

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must:

 keep an accurate daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance.

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

 extend opportunities for children to have more 'thinking time' to let them think about how they want to answer questions without staff jumping in too soon.

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who attend

Children participate in a suitable range of activities that enable them to make satisfactory progress in their learning and development. Staff have some understanding of how young children learn and provide them with appropriate experiences. Staff are familiar with the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the introduction of the progress check at age two. They have a secure understanding of the seven areas of learning, and they plan fun and generally stimulating experiences for the children which support all areas. Staff effectively respond to the children's individual interests and observations. For example, when children notice there is no grass on a developing display, staff swiftly support them to make the grass and add it to their display. Therefore, children feel valued and are confident in expressing their thoughts.

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who attend

Each child has a key person who is responsible for monitoring their progress. Their key person makes observations of the children's learning and assesses their stage of development. This information is then suitably used to plan for their next stages in their learning journey. All activities are equally accessible and children make choices for themselves about what they would like to play with. They have opportunities to lead their own learning. For example, they create a game where they climb up on soft play equipment pretending to wave 'goodbye' to people out of the window. Some adult-led activities, however, are not well organised or planned to fully take account of the stage of development of each child. Consequently, some children are not always effectively challenged and their learning is not fully maximised.

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who attend

Children's communication and language is suitably promoted. Staff engage the children in conversations and encourage them to think about their past experiences. For example, they discuss with them which parts of a display they contributed towards. Children call out 'I did the eyes' and 'I did the mouth'. This helps to prepare them for transitions to other settings, such as school. Children who are less confident are asked questions by staff and helped to be involved in discussions. However, at times opportunities for children to engage in conversations with adults are not fully maximised. This is because, occasionally, when staff ask children questions, they do not always give them enough time to think and answer questions for themselves.

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who attend

Suitable arrangements are in place to encourage parents to share information about their child when they first attend and on an ongoing basis. Parents are suitably informed about their children's progress. They are encouraged to look at their children's learning journals, attend organised consultation sessions and discuss their children's development. Staff provide parents with information about what their children need to do next to enhance their development. Parents are encouraged to share 'wow' moments they have observed in relation to their children's development. Therefore, parents have opportunities to be involved in their children's learning and support their learning at home.

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who attend

Children have opportunities to play alongside older peers and siblings who attend the primary school, as they share an outdoor play area. Staff monitor their interactions and help children play with school children and also their peers of a similar age. As a result, children are confident in making friends and are familiar with children they may go through their school life with. Their physical development is supported as they play in large open spaces. They enjoy running and chasing one another, as well as accessing a range of climbing and balancing apparatus.

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

Staff meet parents and their children individually as they arrive. They are warmly welcomed and staff initiate conversations with them, showing a genuine interest in what the children and their parents have to say. Suitable settling-in procedures ensure children are supported as they separate from their parents. For example, staff get to know the children and their families in the early days. They obtain relevant information from their parents about children's individual care and sufficient information about their overall development. A key person system is in place and children share warm relationships with the staff. Therefore, their emotional well-being is supported. Consequently, children settle well and are happy in their environment.

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

Suitable arrangements are in place to support children as they move on to school. Staff take the children on visits to 'big school' to watch assemblies. Therefore, they become familiar with the teachers and the school environment. In addition, the children who attend the nursery are included in the school's sports day. Therefore, they are ready and confident to move on to the next stage in their lives.

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

Children's behaviour is good. This is achieved because staff explain to them how to behave, and routines help the children to know what is expected of them. Staff act as good role models by using their manners when they speak to the children and encouraging them to do so too. Children are praised for good behaviour, such as sitting nicely at story time and for eating their lunch. Therefore, they feel good about themselves.

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

Children learn about their own personal hygiene through consistent routines and positive role modelling by staff. For example, they understand that they need to wash their hands immediately after using the toilet, which helps to prevent the spread of germs. Staff change children's nappies as and when required and appropriate procedures are followed when children are unwell. Therefore, the spread of illness is prevented. Children who attend the breakfast and after school club are provided with appropriate foods that are generally nutritional. Nursery-age children have the choice of a hot meal or a packed lunch. Information displayed about healthy eating helps parents provide 'good foods' in their children's packed lunches. Therefore, children's nutritional needs are promoted. Outdoor play is regularly featured in the planning of activities, so helping to promote children's understanding of the importance of exercise.

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provision

The management team and staff suitably understand their roles and responsibilities in the event of a child protection concern. They are aware of safeguarding requirements and have easy access to the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. The written safeguarding policy is readily available to parents. Children's safety is well promoted as staff make daily checks to ensure the areas used by the children are safe. Staff also consider risks to children playing in the school playground and petting the school rabbit. Recruitment and selection procedures are secure. A record of all staff Disclosure and Barring Service checks are maintained. In the event of checks being incomplete, these members of staff do not have any unsupervised access to children.

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provision

Overall, inclusion is suitably addressed. Arrangements are in place in readiness to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have experience of monitoring children's language and referring them, with their parents' permission, for speech therapy where necessary. Therefore, their individual needs can be met. Staff also promote partnership working as they are aware of the benefits of positive partnerships with other providers where children attend more than one setting. Therefore, children are provided with a consistent approach towards their care and education.

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provision

There is suitable capacity for improvement as there are some arrangements in place to monitor the effectiveness of the setting. For example, suitable monitoring of the educational programmes ensures the staff deliver a range of experiences that help children make satisfactory progress. Staff are also suitably involved in helping the management team to identify the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. For example, the team have identified equipment that would support the children's development. Suitable arrangements are in place to monitor and appraise the staff. Actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been adequately addressed. This has had some positive impact on the organisation and availability of resources and children's progress.

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provision

Some records for the safe and efficient management of the provision are maintained. However, the record of children's attendance does not always show the actual children present. Consequently, it is not always possible to ensure that children are not missing or to make sure that all of them are escorted safely from the building if evacuation is necessary. This is a breach in requirements on all registers. All of the staff employed to work directly with the children have a childcare qualification. They are also encouraged to improve their skills further through attending short courses. These include safeguarding and first aid. Consequently, children can be provided with appropriate care if they become ill while in the care of the nursery or if they are involved in an accident. Suitable arrangements are in place to share information with parents. For example, staff share the setting's policies and procedures. At the end of each session staff talk to parents about

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provision

activities their children have participated in. Parents speak positively about the service they receive. They share that their children 'love coming to nursery', and that as parents they 'feel very supported by staff'. They especially appreciate 'the information shared about what children need to do to progress'.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (Voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY431710 Local authority Rutland Inspection number 913448

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 21 Number of children on roll 11 Name of provider Rainbow Childcare Centres Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/04/2012 Telephone number 03336 666789

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Type of provision

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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