Rainbow Childcare

Rainbow Childcare Rainbow Pre-School, Rockcliffe Hall, Rockcliffe Street, WHITLEY BAY, Tyne and Wear, NE26 2NW

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/07/2013 23/02/2009

p.1

early years provision

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

p.1

This provision is good

 Children are very happy at the nursery. They build secure attachments with the adults caring for them, which helps ensure children's emotional well-being.  Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs, interests and abilities and effectively plan a wide range of experiences to support their learning. Consequently, children make good progress in all areas of their development.  The leadership team is very forward looking and are pro-active in ensuring that continued improvements occur consistently throughout the provision.  Partnerships with parents, other agencies and providers are good. This ensures children are given access to appropriate help and that they are well-supported in their moves both within the nursery and onto other settings, including school.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Occasionally, some staff require support in identifying children's next steps to enhance children's already very good progress even further.  Opportunities for mark making within the everyday environment are not always maximised to ensure the consistent progress of children's early writing skills.  The use of open-ended resources is not always maximised to develop children's explorative impulse even further.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector had discussions with parents, staff and children.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's records of achievement and assessment documents, safeguarding and recruitment and selection procedures and self-evaluation.

p.2

Information about the setting

The Rainbow Childcare Nursery was registered in 2008 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises in the Whitely Bay area of Tyne and Wear, and is managed by the owner and her daughter. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a wooden single storey building and there is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs 15 members of staff. Of these 14 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 80 children attending who are in the early year's age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

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

 maximise opportunities for mark making within the everyday environment to ensure the consistent progress of children's writing skills

p.3

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

 maximise the use of open-ended resources, for example treasure baskets, to further develop children's explorative impulses

p.3

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

 continue to provide support to some staff in planning the next steps in children's learning in order to enhance children's already very good progress even further.

p.3

who attend

Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and, consequently, children are well supported in their learning and development. Planning is good and based on individual needs and interests of children. Observation, assessment and planning systems are effectively in place and cover all seven areas of learning. Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and successfully provide opportunities for children to be active and inquisitive learners. For example, staff provide torches and a dark den to develop children's understanding of how things work. Staff are fully committed to planning for children's next steps in order to challenge them and help them make good progress in their development. However, occasionally some staff require support to plan children's next steps in order to enhance their already very good progress even further.

p.3

who attend

Children's starting points are gathered from parents before the child starts at the nursery. For example, a record is kept of what their child enjoys doing at home on an 'All about me' form. This helps staff to effectively plan activities relevant to individual children's needs and interests. Staff track children's progress routinely and record their achievements. Subsequently, all children are making good progress given their starting points and capabilities. The 'progress check at age two' is fully understood by staff, who successfully report on how each child is progressing. Parents are invited to complete a 'progress check at age two' home assessment, thus contributing to their child's learning. They are also involved in their child's learning by contributing post-it notes of their child's achievements to their learning records, which they have access to at all times. Parents are regularly kept up-to-date with their child's progress by receiving summary reports on their

p.4

who attend

stage of development and their next steps in their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Where appropriate, outside professional help is sought to ensure all children are included and aided to achieve to their full potential.

p.4

who attend

Children enjoy sensory play. They explore malleable materials, such as play dough and jelly. This helps children to develop their fine motor skills as they squash, pull and prod and flatten out the dough with their hands. They demonstrate delight in the sensation of repeatedly squashing the jelly through their fingers. Outdoors, opportunities for children to use and develop their physical skills to climb, crawl and slide are provided by a piece of large climbing equipment. Children also learn how to manoeuvre scooters and other wheeled vehicles to negotiate space. Staff plan exciting experiences for children to learn about the natural world around them and children learn how to care for living things. For example, they water the sunflowers they have grown from seeds in the outdoor play area and excitedly talk about 'how high' the plants are growing. Children are developing their imagination well and staff understand how to nurture this by asking open ended

p.4

who attend

questions. Therefore, children are motivated and use language for thinking creatively. Everyday events are used well by staff to encourage children's early mathematical skills. They help children count, and support their understanding of sorting objects. For example, children skilfully sort red, blue, yellow and green objects into the appropriate groups. Staff have a good awareness of how to engage young children at story time by using a variety of props to bring a story to life. Consequently, children sit and listen attentively to a member of staff telling them a favourite story. Babies and toddlers enjoy listening to a story cuddled up to their key worker. As a result, children form positive attachments and develop good communication and language skills. Staff plan more structured time with older children helping them further enhance their phonics as part of developing their language, communication and literacy skills. This helps them to be ready for school life.

p.4

who attend

Children's understanding of how things work and use of technology is encouraged through access to computers and a range of resources, such as torches and pop up toys. Children enjoy exploring messy and creative play activities such as painting which helps them to make marks. However, sometimes opportunities for children to make marks throughout the whole learning environment are not always maximised, which means their early writing skills are sometimes not promoted as well as possible.

p.4

who attend

Staff effectively encourage babies' and toddlers' early communication by responding positively to their babbling and chatter. For example, staff repeated the word 'hello' back to a child as they waved and babbled to an adult, thus, supporting their language development. Babies' physical development is well promoted and staff actively encourage the development of their large muscle skills. For example, by putting a toy just out of reach of a baby starting to crawl and encouraging them to reach it. However, sometimes resources are not used as well as possible to enhance children's explorative skills and curiosity. For example, treasure baskets are not always accessible.

p.5

who attend

Parent's views are sought and readily responded to. For example, parents can choose to submit suggestions in the suggestion box. The 'You said, we did' board highlights suggestions made by parents to make improvements to the nursery. Staff have responded positively to many of these suggestions and have made changes to the nursery as a consequence. As a result, parents feel valued and listened to. Parents spoken to on the day highly value the service that is offered and are very complimentary about the staff, supporting them while their children settle and during their attendance at the nursery.

p.5

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

Children are happy and settled in this friendly, welcoming nursery. They form secure and trusting attachments with their key person who meets their individual needs well. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children's well-being is given high priority and, therefore, their emotional needs are well met. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are equally well supported. This ensures their individual needs are met and they do not miss out on any learning and fun opportunities. Children demonstrate how comfortable and confident they feel in the nursery by freely exploring the environment both indoors and outdoors. Staff are calm, caring and offer plenty of support and reassurance to the children who are new to the nursery. For example children are allocated key groups, helping them to feel part of a group. Children take turns to take a soft toy animal home to look after and a book to record their learning experiences at

p.5

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

home. Parents contribute comments and photographs and children enjoy sharing this with their key person and other children. As a result, children feel settled at the nursery while sharing their experiences from home.

p.5

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

Staff are good role models and are calm and respectful. As a result, children have high self-esteem, are well behaved and understand rules of expected behaviour. For example, children readily stop and listen carefully to instruction at tidy up time, showing their understanding of regular routines. Staff support younger children to put toys and resources back in the right places and offer praise and encouragement. Consequently, children have a willingness to join in, gain positive self-esteem and develop an understanding of responsibility. Staff praise and encourage children's achievements and maintain and promote clear and consistent messages to them. For example, staff gently remind children not to throw stones in the nursery garden as 'they may hurt their friends'. All children develop a range of skills which help to promote their understanding of personal hygiene and self-care. For example, children are aware of why they should wash

p.5

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

their hands before preparing snack to 'stop germs' getting onto the food. Older children talk about food that is 'good for you' when they prepare the fruit for snack. This demonstrates their developing understanding of the importance of healthy eating. Children have access to fresh water daily. The nursery provides freshly cooked nutritious meals which children thoroughly enjoy. Staff carefully check their records of each child's dietary needs before food is served to ensure these are addressed appropriately. Mealtimes are sociable occasions where all children are encouraged to help serve their own food, developing their independence and fine motor skills by using serving implements. Staff sit with children at mealtimes to support them and talk to them about their day. Children readily talk to each other and, as a result, become confident communicators.

p.6

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

High priority is given to babies' and toddlers health and emotional needs. Staff follow babies' home routines, which mean that they sleep and eat according to their individual needs. Babies are held comfortingly by their key worker while enjoying their bottle feed. Thus, babies and toddlers are settled, happy and form secure attachments with their key person.

p.6

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

Staff complete daily safety checks indoors and of the outdoor play area. Consequently children play and learn in a safe environment. Children develop healthy lifestyles as they gain an understanding of the need for physical exercise. For example, they scoot and peddle a variety of wheeled toys. Staff deploy themselves very well within the indoor and outdoor environments to ensure that children are supervised and kept safe. Children learn about the importance of keeping themselves safe. For example, they learn how to use implements safely when cutting up fruit for snack. Staff follow appropriate procedures to deal with any accidents appropriately and ensure children are reassured. Robust medication procedures are in place to help staff ensure children are kept protected. All information is recorded and shared with parents in a confidential way.

p.6

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

Staff work very sensitively with parents during all transitional times for their children. They organise visits to the next room in the nursery and ensure that the new key person has a clear understanding of the child's prior skills, knowledge and understanding. These moves are discussed thoroughly with parents to ensure that children continue to feel safe and secure. Similarly, children are well supported by staff to move on to other settings. Good relationships and systems are in place with local schools to enable children's move to school to be a smooth and positive experience. Children visit the schools with staff and photograph books are created so they can recall different areas of the school from their experiences. This helps them to be well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

p.6

provision

The leadership team demonstrates a secure understanding of their responsibility to monitor the educational programmes and how children learn. This is evident as children have access to a broad range of experiences and activities within the nursery. These cover all seven areas of learning and, as a result, children make good progress. The leadership team demonstrates a good understanding of their role in meeting the learning and development requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. They support staff very well in their continued professional development to ensure they are clear on their roles and responsibilities within the learning environment. Through regular supervisions, staff meetings and annual appraisals training needs are highlighted and staff are well supported to plan effective activities and experiences to help children make good progress in their learning. Staff undertake statutory training to effectively meet children's emotional

p.7

provision

and health needs. For example, safeguarding and paediatric first aid training. They meet regularly as a team to discuss aspects of the nursery, educational programmes, share ideas and views. This helps to promote consistency in their approach and ongoing improvements.

p.7

provision

Staff undertake effective self-evaluative practice which highlights strengths and areas to improve in the nursery. The leadership team are committed to self-improvement and value the importance of seeking suggestions and ideas from staff and parents.

p.7

provision

The leadership team has a secure understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. These requirements are very well met throughout the nursery. The leadership team and staff work very well together. They support each other, ensuring that they all fully understand their roles and responsibilities.

p.7

provision

Children are well protected in the nursery because staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding procedures. Staff have completed safeguarding training and are aware of who to contact should they have a safeguarding concern. Effective policies and procedures are in place and available to parents. These are regularly reviewed and cover safeguarding and the use of mobile phones and cameras in the nursery. Staff supervise children well and are vigilant in ensuring that children stay safe. For example, exit doors are secure and only authorised persons enter the building. Written risk assessments are in place and daily safety checks are carried out by staff. This helps to identify potential hazards and minimise risks. Consequently, children stay safe as the environment, equipment and activities are safe and suitable for children. Staff deploy themselves effectively to ensure the overall needs of children are met and that adult to child ratios are maintained efficiently, both

p.7

provision

indoors and outdoors. For example, staff check the accessible public outdoor play area for any potential hazards and take appropriate action to ensure the area is safe and suitable for children.

p.7

provision

Effective procedures for the selection and recruitment of new staff are in place and help to ensure that children are cared for by suitable adults. New members of staff and agency staff are supported by senior members of staff so that they build a firm understanding of the nursery's expectations. Induction programmes are robust and very effective in successfully ensuring all new practitioners have a mentor and are up to speed quickly with current requirements and good practice. As a result, children are cared for and supported very effectively in their learning. Partnerships with parents are highly valued and staff make every effort to ensure that parents are well informed of their child's learning and development at all stages. For example, daily communication books supported by verbal discussions at the beginning and end of the day keep parents informed of how their child has been and what their child has

p.7

provision

being playing with. Furthermore, a good range of information is displayed around the nursery, such as play plans, daily routines, key person photographs and policies and procedures. This helps parents understand how the nursery operates.

p.8

provision

Good relationships with other provisions and professionals are firmly established and contribute well to supporting children's learning and welfare needs. Staff work effectively with other agencies, such as the local authority development officer, staff from local schools and other professionals involved in children's care. For example, a health professional recently visited the nursery to support staff with strategies to help children. As a result, all children progress well in relation to their individual needs and starting points.

p.8

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

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

Setting details

Unique reference number EY382547 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 858766

p.10

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider (Good Time Childcare) Rainbow Childcare Partnership Date of previous inspection 23/02/2009 Telephone number 0191 289 3386

p.10

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.

p.10

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.11

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,

p.11

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’.

p.12

Type of provision

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

p.12