Rainbow Nursery

Rainbow Nursery 32 Dent View, EGREMONT, Cumbria, CA22 2ET

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/11/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 friendly and approachable staff welcome children warmly into this homely nursery. This helps children to settle easily, form strong bonds with their key persons and develop their confidence and independence.  Teaching is good because staff provide a range of stimulating and challenging activities and resources which interest and motivate children's learning. Consequently, children, including those with specials educational needs and / or disabilities, develop good skills in all areas of their learning and development.  All staff are well trained and knowledgeable about how to keep children safe and secure. They follow comprehensive safeguarding procedures and risk assessments to ensure that children are supervised and protected at all times.  Staff and parents work well together to share information about their children and support their learning and development at the nursery and at home.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope for staff to extend the already good opportunities for the pre-school children to explore and operate information, communication and technology equipment.  Staff occasionally do not make the best use of the space available when organising craft activities to make sure all children have sufficient space to join in and work together on joint projects.

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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 two playrooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager in the pre-school room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and spoke to the staff and children during activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the appraisal and supervisory records, the provider's self- evaluation form and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Rainbows Nursery opened in 1986 and is privately owned. It operates from a semi- detached property located in Egremont, Cumbria. It serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. The nursery opens five days a week from 7am until 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

Children are cared for in five play rooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 44 children attending in the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about the setting

There are currently six staff working directly with the children, all of whom have an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or 3. The manager is a qualified and experienced teacher. The nursery receives support from the local authority. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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

 extend the pre-school children's opportunities to further develop their good skills in operating information, communication and technology equipment, by introducing them to resources, such as computers, keyboards and printers

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

 make more use of the available space in the 'messy play room' when organising craft activities to provide all children with sufficient space to participate and work together on projects.

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who attend

The quality of teaching provided by the manager and staff is good. They understand that children have different learning styles and they tailor activities to meet their individual interests and learning needs. Initial information is gathered from parents about the children during settling-in sessions. This information helps the children's key persons to assess the children's starting points and to get to know the children well. Staff provide an imaginative range of activities that are appropriate to the children's ages and stages of development. The good balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities fully supports children to make good progress in their learning and development. Staff skilfully support children in their learning by encouraging them to initiate their chosen activities by exploring and playing independently. Staff support and extend children's thinking through talking to them and listening carefully to their ideas. While creating 'Santa's Grotto' the

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who attend

children decide to fill it with toys including a giraffe. The staff support children's ideas by providing open-ended resources, such as large cardboard boxes. This inspires the children to use the box to make a large giraffe together. Children thoroughly enjoy painting the box, mixing the paints to make different colours and expressing themselves through art and design. However, this activity takes place in a corner of the main play room. As more children express a wish to join in, there is insufficient space for them all to easily take part and work together on the project. The more spacious 'messy play room' is not used on this occasion to facilitate more opportunities for all children to participate in this spontaneous activity.

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who attend

Staff clearly display numbers and shapes in the environment and facilitate games which reinforce children's number and shape recognition. For example, groups of children enjoy playing a game which involves taking turns to roll a dice. They count the dots and find the corresponding number. They then count out the correct number of items to place on the number. This activity enables children to count for a purpose and recognise numerals. Staff enthusiastically praise the children for their achievements, which clearly boosts their confidence and self-esteem. These activities support children to make good progress in their mathematical development. There are some electronic toys available, such as push button and remote control toys to help children develop their skills in understanding how things work. However, the current range does not fully promote the pre-school children's growing skills and curiosity in learning how to operate some equipment, such as

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who attend

computers, keyboards and printers. Staff teach children about the wider world around them by studying the globe. Children locate where they live and the staff member explains that Britain is an island. She asks the children how many people they think live on this island and they compare this with China, which is much bigger. This helps children to gain an understanding of the world and to further develop their understanding of mathematics.

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who attend

Staff keep parents well-informed about their children's progress through daily talks with the key persons and the use of daily diaries. They are actively encouraged to be involved in their children's learning. For example, they are given ideas of how to support their children's learning at home by undertaking tasks and taking books home to read together. This supports children's communication and literacy skills well. The parents share what their children learn at home, which is added to their learning journeys to contribute to their overall assessments. Staff accurately assess and track children's progress and plan for the next steps in their learning based on their individual needs and interests. They work closely with parents to undertake the progress checks at age two. This effectively identifies children's developmental stages and staff are pro-active in seeking early intervention for children who require additional support. All children, including those with

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who attend

special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress towards the early learning goals, given their starting points. Staff support children's good communication and language skills and help them to build their vocabulary during story time and singing sessions. For example, children enjoy sitting in the cosy corner listening to stories being read to them by the enthusiastic staff. Children receive additional support to develop their language and communication skills when required. For example, the staff work closely with the speech and language therapist to enhance the communication skills of children. This helps them to participate fully in the activities on offer. Children have many opportunities to make marks with paints, crayons, chalks and water using rollers and brushes. Also children learn to recognise their names when they self-register. These activities support children to develop good early literacy skills. Overall, staff support

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who attend

children well to ensure that their learning and development is in line with the expected developmental ranges for their ages, given their starting points. As a result, they are acquiring the skills and attitudes required for when it is time for them to attend school.

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

Children receive a warm welcome from the nurturing staff at this small and homely nursery. Staff know the children and their families very well and quickly form strong bonds and positive relationships with the children, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Parent's comment that their children really enjoy their time at the nursery and are cared for very well by the staff. Parents also comment that the staff support and advise them about general childcare issues. As a result, children's emotional well-being is very well supported. Key persons work closely with parents in order to gather as much information about their children's care needs and routines when they first start attending. This helps them to gain a good understanding of children's routines and individual needs and, therefore, sensitively support their emotional and physical well-being. For example, when children are settling in to the nursery for the first time, staff comfort them by knowing

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

what they like to play with. This in turn helps them to feel happier and more able to separate from their parents during the transition phase between home and nursery. Children bring in their special toys and family photographs from home to display on the wall. They are located at their level so that they can look at them and show their friends and staff. This further supports children to feel 'at home' and relaxed at the nursery. The nursery is attractively decorated with children's individual art work and photographs of the children and the staff. This helps children to feel familiar and comfortable in their surroundings. The children confidently select from a wide choice of stimulating resources, which are stored at low level and are easy for them to reach. This enables them to become confident learners and teaches them to make choices and play independently and cooperatively alongside others. The good level of adult attention and warm interaction

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

ensures that children's personal, social and emotional development is effectively supported by the staff who praise and encourage them throughout the day.

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

Children enjoy playing in the well-equipped outdoor play area. This, together with regular outings to parks and other places of interest, means that they enjoy regular fresh air and exercise, which fully supports their physical well-being. Children learn from an early age about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles. They learn good skills in self-care and independence as they are encouraged to wash their hands before eating their well- balanced, nutritious snacks. Staff effectively support children to judge risks and learn to use sharp items safely, such as cutting out shapes with scissors carefully. Children also learn the importance of keeping themselves and others safe by abiding by the 'Golden Rules', such as not running inside and by helping to tidy up their toys. The staff use clear boundaries and gentle guidance to teach children about behaviour that is acceptable. Children are supported by staff to express their feelings by using books and posters. Staff

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

help them to learn about the importance of being kind and showing concern for others. Children are well supported and emotionally prepared for their moves from the nursery to school, due to the close working relationships that exist with teachers at the local schools.

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provision

The nursery is managed by an experienced and qualified manager who is conscientious and competent in her leadership role. She and the staff have a good understanding and knowledge of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The thorough recruitment and staff checks undertaken by the manager ensure that staff are suitable and safe to work with children. The manager is the designated person for safeguarding and has a clear understanding of the role. All staff are well versed in what to do should they have concerns about a child. All staff have undertaken safeguarding training and have a good understanding of the policy and procedure to follow should they have concerns about children's welfare. The policy includes procedures to be followed if there are allegations made against staff members. Children remain safe and secure due to the robust security

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provision

of the premises and the vigilance of the staff. The manager ensures that the correct staff to child ratios are adhered to at all times and that staff are effectively deployed. This results in children being well-supervised and ensures that their individual needs are well met. Effective risk assessments and daily safety checks undertaken inside and outside minimise hazards in order to reduce the risk of accidents to children. Procedures for dealing with accidents are stringently followed. All accidents are recorded and parents are informed and asked to sign the accident records. All staff are trained in paediatric first aid and are, therefore, prepared to deal with any accidents or medical emergencies should they arise.

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provision

The manager and staff have a very secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager has recruited and retained a staff team who are experienced and well qualified and, as a result, the quality of the learning environment and planned activities are well matched to each child's age and stage of development. Staff are appropriately qualified for their roles. The impact of teaching on children's learning is closely monitored by the manager. As a result, a consistent approach is used by all staff to support children's learning and development. This means that children are supported effectively to make good progress in their learning and development. The manager monitors the planning and learning journals to ensure that a wide range of activities are provided to help children make good progress in all areas of their learning. She also checks that staff plan for

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provision

children's next steps in their learning and that these are followed through. The manager monitors staff's' practice closely on a daily basis and has thorough systems in place to address any under-performance issues should they occur. All staff receive a full induction to ensure that they understand all of the nursery policies and procedures. Annual appraisals and regular staff supervisions are undertaken to monitor the continued professional development, conduct and training needs of staff. Regular team meetings and training also effectively support staff well in their daily work with the children.

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provision

Partnerships between staff and parents are very positive. Parents spoken to during the inspection express positive views about the good level of care and education provided by the staff. They have confidence that the staff carefully follow stringent safety and security procedures to effectively keep children safe at the nursery. Parents comment on the good level of information sharing and find the staff very approachable and helpful at all times. Partnership working with external agencies and professionals, such as speech and language therapists and health visitors are very effective in ensuring that children are well-supported when required. Self-evaluation by the manager and staff is accurate and results in them maintaining a good standard of care and education. They regularly take into account the views of children and parents to contribute to their thorough evaluation of the nursery. The manager and staff work closely with the local authority advisor and

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provision

have a clear and well-targeted plan of action for future developments. This is a positive indication of how committed and driven the staff are in maintaining continuous improvements.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY463152 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 919604 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 27 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Rainbow Day Nursery (Cumbria) LTD Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01946 821966

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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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