Rainbow Pre-School

Eight acres of private woodland give Rainbow Pre-School a setting that goes well beyond an indoor playroom. A scout building and secure garden form its base in Stoke Poges, with parent involvement extending into the running of this charitable pre-school. At its 6 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged it Good and found safeguarding effective.

Rainbow offers childcare for children aged two to five and has 36 places in total. That capacity is a whole-setting figure, rather than the number attending any particular session. Its strongest practical combination is outdoor space, a personal key person and opportunities for parents to help shape the setting.

Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance offer different ways to build a childcare week. Younger children begin with afternoons, with longer attendance introduced once they have settled.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational foundation: children learn through play, conversation, movement and activities covering language, relationships, early mathematics and creative expression. Rainbow combines activities chosen by children with experiences organised by practitioners. The distinction matters: children have room to pursue an interest, alongside opportunities to try something an adult introduces.

The indoor playroom supports this mixture of independent choice and shared activity. Sessions allow children to select a task and stay with it, while adult-led groups introduce new experiences and working alongside others. Outdoor play follows the same pattern, with both child-chosen and adult-led opportunities. Learning is spread across the setting rather than confined to a table indoors.

In December 2022, children used a visual board to choose resources, built a farm together and developed imaginative games around Santa's workshop. Disco dough brought singing and dancing into a shared activity. These examples show how choosing, constructing and pretending gave children different reasons to talk and cooperate.

Questioning needed more patience at that time. Adults sometimes supplied an answer before children had gathered their thoughts, reducing opportunities to explain their own ideas. The other improvement concerned making the connection between healthy habits and their effects on the body clearer. Those are useful points to weigh alongside the overall Good judgement.

Outdoor and Community Life

A secure garden within private woodland gives outdoor activity a substantial physical setting. Children are encouraged to play outside and take part in messy experiences, so practical clothing matters here. This is an offer for families comfortable with wellies, washable clothes and spare outfits.

In December 2022, outdoor experiences included climbing frames, bicycles, community outings and exploration of the neighbouring woodland. A Gruffalo visit brought a story character into that woodland setting for a reading activity. It was a concrete link between books and outdoor experience, rather than simply another indoor story session.

Parent participation also shapes the surroundings. In summer 2022, garden work added a storage shed, a gazebo for outdoor activities and the Rainbow road. These are dated examples of investment in the play space, and of parents contributing to the setting's practical development.

Relationships and Communication

Each family is allocated a key person, giving parents a consistent contact for their child's care and learning. Settling arrangements are worked out with families, and the key person helps a new child become familiar with the setting. This provides a personal connection through the move from home into group care.

Progress is documented in an electronic record of achievement. Observations, photographs and videos contribute to assessment, while parents add information about interests and learning at home. Periodic summaries also support changes of group and the move on to school. The value for families is continuity: what a child does at home can inform what practitioners plan next.

For two-year-olds, the key person completes a written progress summary drawing on everyday observations and contributions from parents and other professionals. This covers communication, physical development and personal and social development. It gives families a specific opportunity to discuss development alongside the more informal exchanges about daily experiences.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Special educational needs coordinators provide a point of contact for additional needs, and Rainbow works within the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice. This describes a support mechanism, rather than a promise that every individual need will be met in the same way.

Staff undertake safeguarding training and hold paediatric first aid and food hygiene certificates. Enhanced DBS checks are part of the staffing arrangements. The current team information also identifies early years practitioners with Level 3 qualifications; these details describe staff preparation, while the dated inspection judgement remains the assessment of effectiveness.

In December 2022, sand timers helped children take turns, and everyday independence included managing tissues and cutting snacks. Current routines encourage children to manage outdoor clothing and use the toilet themselves, with easy-to-handle clothes supporting that practice.

Sessions and Attendance

Rainbow's address is The Lair, Duffield Lane, Stoke Poges, SL2 4AL. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and all-day sessions from 9am to 3pm. Children aged two to three start with afternoons and may move to mornings or all-day attendance after settling; children aged three to five may combine mornings and all-day sessions.

The session timetable itself labels the sessions for ages two to four, so the arrangements for a five-year-old merit clarification before booking. In December 2022, the setting opened on weekdays during term time, from 9am to 3pm.

Applications use an online form. Appointments to look around can be arranged by telephone. These are separate steps: the application supplies information about the child, while an appointment gives families time to discuss the setting and its routines.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare is offered for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds, alongside privately purchased hours. Funding options include 30 hours childcare for eligible working families, 15 hours childcare for all families in England with children aged three to four, and 15 hours for 2 year olds receiving support. The working-family entitlement begins from the term after a child reaches the qualifying age; that general entitlement does not extend Rainbow's own accepted age range.

Staff prepare snacks, which are charged separately, and parents supply packed lunches with freezer ice packs. Families share dietary requirements so these can be taken into account.

For funded attendance, a sessional charge covers snacks and consumables. Parents also supply nappies and wipes when needed, so consumables combine separately charged items with supplies brought from home. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Non-funded attendance is invoiced half-termly. Fees remain payable for absences, and missed attendance does not earn a replacement session. Funded families complete their attendance-hours form at the start of each term, making the agreed pattern an administrative commitment as well as a childcare choice.

• Age and session fit. The general offer extends to age five, while the timetable labels sessions for ages two to four. At an appointment, ask which pattern applies to your child's age and how the initial afternoon settling arrangement works.
• Time to think and healthy habits. In December 2022, the improvement priorities were giving children longer to answer questions and explaining how healthy choices affect their bodies. These concern the substance of everyday teaching, alongside the Good overall judgement.
• Costs around funded hours. Funded sessions carry a charge for snacks and consumables, packed lunches come from home, and families provide nappies and wipes when appropriate. Include each element when assessing the written quotation.
• Parent participation. A voluntary parent committee manages this charity, with opportunities to help in sessions, fundraising and management. Families who want an active role may value this; those with little spare time should consider the expectations for involvement.

Rainbow suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon attendance or an all-day pattern, with younger children introduced through afternoons. Its secure garden, woodland setting and parent-managed structure give the choice a clear character. The key person and shared development records add continuity between home and pre-school.

The December 2022 Good judgement sits alongside specific teaching improvements, rather than removing them from consideration. For parents who value outdoor play and involvement in a charitable setting, Rainbow offers a persuasive combination. The age-specific attendance arrangements and extras on funded sessions deserve attention before committing.