Rainbow Nursery

Rainbow Nursery St Marks Hall, Birling Road,, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5LX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2013 11/08/2009

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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

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This provision is good

 The staff team are very experienced and well qualified, and they demonstrate a good understanding of how children learn, so children make good progress.  Children can be very independent, active learners because the learning environment maximises their choices and gives them time to pursue their ideas.  Staff have built strong relationships with parents and other partners to provide children with consistent, coherent care.  Babies benefit from attentive staff who support their communication through positive, continuous interaction.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not fully promote children's problem solving and critical thinking during all activities to further their skills in this area.  There are minor weaknesses in the monitoring and evaluation systems needed to secure improvements.

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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 compulsory part 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 children at play indoors and outside.  The inspector observed the care of babies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of documentation and discussed how children's' additional needs were met.

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Information about the setting

Rainbow Nursery opened in 1991 and operates from St Mark's Church Hall in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two settings run by the same owner. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round excluding bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Babies are cared for in a dedicated baby room and older children have a large hall. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 55 children aged from 3 months to under eight years on roll. The nursery currently supports children with special educational needs and/or learning disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs nine members of staff, including the owners, who work with the children. Of these, seven staff members hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff has Early Years Professional status.

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

 improve the monitoring and reviewing of new systems to assess their impact on the children

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

 support children to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills by using open questions

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of how to support children's learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They plan a broad range of interesting activities which support children in setting their own challenges and following their own interests. Children have ample space and time to pursue their ideas and develop their play for lengthy periods. This means that children are continuously involved in purposeful, independent play.

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who attend

Staff are skilled teachers. They support the communication skills of babies by keeping lots of eye contact and imitating the babbling sounds they make. Staff build a close rapport with the babies in their care and are attentive to any communication they make. This builds their enjoyment as well as their skills in language. Toddlers and pre-school aged children also benefit from having staff alongside them as they play. Staff chat with the children and comment on or describe what children are doing to provide a language rich environment. Staff are careful to consider the differences between what children understand and what they say, particularly where children have English as an additional language. Children spontaneously explore mathematical concepts in their play. For example, when using pencils, they notice the different lengths and compare them to find the shortest and longest. Children learn about number and counting as they explore their

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who attend

environment, comparing the number of legs on a spider and a beetle, for example. Children have good ideas for extending activities such as taking the creatures they find home with them. However, staff do not consistently support children to think critically and solve their own problems by asking children to think about how they might achieve their aims. Children enjoy digging and planting in the garden and examine the plants for changes that will indicate when the tomatoes are ready to eat. Children experiment with construction blocks, laying them end to end, and then side by side to create different types of path. Babies and children enjoy open-ended messy play where they can create their own pictures using paint, glue and a wide variety of craft materials.

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who attend

Staff gather information from parents as children settle so that they can plan for their interests and current stage of development. Staff use their experience and knowledge of children's development to note the progress children are making and base their plans on children's next steps. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff ask parents to contribute to the learning journals in regular reviews. When staff make summary assessments such as the check at age two and the transition records for school, they share these with parents to keep them well-informed. This promotes consistency of care for the children.

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

Staff are very effective key persons for babies and children. They consider children's needs very carefully when making any changes, such as moving the key person with the child when moving from the baby room to the pre-school. Children have their own boxes and files for keeping their belongings safe. They also enjoy taking the nursery's teddy home with them and recording their care of him in a diary. This creates a strong sense of belonging for children and as a result, they are well-settled and confident. Staff have created a very adaptable learning environment that reflects all seven areas of the curriculum both indoors and outside. There is a wide range of activities to choose form at any time, and staff add interest by arranging dinosaur toys in a tray of cones, sticks and stones. This entices children to engage in play. The routine maximises children's opportunity for independent play, so children can develop their ideas and challenges.

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

Additional specialist teachers also attend weekly, giving the children lively sessions in music and French, for example.

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

Children benefit from a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy nutritious meals and snacks which provide a balanced diet, often incorporating things the children have grown in the garden. Children and babies frequently play outside in the fresh air, which also supports those children who have active learning styles. Children enjoy a wide range of physical play to develop their strength and support their growth. For example, they move around as different animals, stretching and jumping in different ways. Children also develop their small muscles by manipulating pens, scissors and other small craft items. Children learn to manage their own safety as they play. Staff help them to understand risk, such as in using a slide, encouraging children to use it in ways that will keep them safe. Children adopt good hygiene habits because staff have well-established routines for hand-washing and nappy changing. This helps to minimise the risk of cross-infection.

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

Children are well-behaved. They understand that rules support them in their play and learn to cooperate by sharing and talking turns. Children are polite, and say please and thank you spontaneously. They also invite each other to play and build strong friendships. Children are confident to ask questions and speak up in small groups. This means that when children make the transition to school, they are confident and independent and have the skills they need for their future learning.

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provision

The owner and manager have a good understanding of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Their safeguarding policy is very comprehensive and any reviews are made in team meetings. This means that all staff have a good working knowledge of how to respond to concerns. All staff are checked as to their suitability during the recruitment process and all staff have an induction to ensure they are familiar with all aspects of health and safety and good practice. Staff are very careful of children's safety and make daily risk assessments, reporting any issues to senior staff. These are swiftly addressed which minimises any risk to children. Records and documentation related to registers, medication and accidents are well-organised which underpins children's well- being. The staff team is well-established, highly qualified and experienced. The owner and manager work alongside staff in all aspects of the work and have a strong understanding

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provision

of the staff members' strengths and skills. They work as a team to bring about improvements in their practice using the expertise of the Early Years Professional and support of the local authority. Staff have regular supervision to identify their personal development needs and support to improve their skills via training or mentoring. This means that senior staff bring about change in a careful and considerate manner. All staff monitor the curriculum and planning to ensure it covers all areas of learning. Senior staff monitor the assessment records to promote consistency and accuracy. However, when senior staff initiate improvements they do not robustly assess the impact on children. This reduces their ability to build upon their improvements.

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provision

Staff build close and supportive relationships with parents. Staff give daily feedback to parents about what the child has played and achieved that day. Parents understand that they can see the learning journals at any time and are happy with the information they receive about children's learning and development. Parents value the care and play activities that staff provide and appreciate the support and advice about issues such as potty training and settling-in strategies. Parents attend the wide range of events through the year which helps to build a good sense of community. Staff have also built strong relationships with schools and other professionals. Where staff or parents identify that a child may have an additional need, staff work closely with the local authority to secure the correct assessments and support for the child. For example, staff act on the advice of speech and language therapists, or staff from the autism team, in order to meet the child's

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provision

additional needs. This means that vulnerable children benefit from consistent care. Staff have a strong relationship with local schools and liaise closely to support children and parents as they move on. Staff value the feedback they get from schools as it demonstrates that the nursery children are confident, well-behaved and ready to learn.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 127486 Local authority Kent Inspection number 924471

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Lorraine Evans, David Evans, Amanda Semark and James Semark Partnership Date of previous inspection 11/08/2009 Telephone number 01892 516677

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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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