Rainbow Pre-School, located at Hindhayes County Infant School in Street has been rated "Good" in all areas by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) during an inspection on 13 July 2023.

This marks a significant improvement from the previous inspection, where the overall effectiveness was deemed to "Require improvement."

Children at Rainbow Pre-School were observed to arrive happily and settle quickly. The report highlighted the ambitious curriculum provided by staff, who "share extremely strong bonds" with the children.

This enables the children to become "exceptionally confident and independent learners" who develop creative imaginations.

Examples of the lively environment include pre-school children pretending to make ice creams and younger children going on a cardboard box adventure to the beach. Children were found to be well-behaved, learning to "respect one another and play cooperatively."

The inspection also praised how children make good progress from their individual starting points. This is credited to the staff who know them well, plan exciting activities, and help them build on their existing knowledge and abilities, thereby preparing them well for their next educational steps.

Among the strengths of the pre-school were staff reading stories, singing songs with children, and encouraging them to explore musical instruments and dance. This approach helps in promoting children's language and literacy skills. The report stated, "Children spontaneously dance to music and explore new words as they pretend to 'squelch' through mud or 'swish' through grass."

Children also had many meaningful opportunities to engage with numbers and learn about size and measurement. The staff's interaction and narration of children's play were noted, such as introducing words like 'tall' and 'taller' when children build towers with bricks.

advertisement

However, the report did identify areas for improvement, mainly focusing on the curriculum and adult-led activities for two-year-olds. It was suggested that these should be more consistently aligned with the children's individual next steps in learning. There were also calls to "develop further strategies to support children even more in developing their communication skills."

The welcoming and nurturing environment of Rainbow Pre-School was lauded as a "hive of activity." Staff were commended as good role models who interact with children in a kind and sensitive manner. The safeguarding measures were also found to be effective, with staff demonstrating good knowledge of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

Parents shared their views during the inspection, and the leadership and management of the school were credited for their effective evaluation and staff training, enhancing children's learning experiences further.

You can find the full report here.