Rainbow Childcare, Kirkby

A modular building on the Millbrook Primary School site, a garden woven into the preschool day and care extending into the primary years give Rainbow Childcare, Kirkby a clear practical identity. Preschool provision serves children aged two to four; the out of school club caters for ages four to eleven. There are 32 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a measure of any individual group.

Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding at its 26 July 2022 inspection. That dated judgement sits alongside a current offer spanning preschool sessions, school wraparound and holiday childcare. For families combining a school nursery place with additional care, the arrangements are especially relevant: Rainbow provides care around nursery-class attendance as well as for younger children who have not started school nursery.

Rooms and Ages

The Pre school room and Out of school room separate the two strands of provision. Rainbow occupies a purpose-built modular building within Millbrook School, giving preschool childcare and care for primary-age children a shared base while retaining their different routines.

For two- to four-year-olds, the day includes drawing and other mark making, songs, stories, imaginative play and activities involving creative materials. Computer time and messy play also feature. These are concrete choices for children with different interests: a child can explore a material, develop an idea through pretend play or join a shared story rather than spend the whole session on one prescribed task.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for preschool learning and care, with play supporting children's communication, physical development and growing independence. At Rainbow, the daily routine puts this into practice through stories, songs, creative activities and access to the garden. The framework is the foundation of the provision; the detail lies in what children actually do.

In July 2022, staff used conversation to extend children's thinking during construction play. One tower-building activity involved using a tree to support the structure. Children also explored floating and sinking in a water tray, connecting their ideas about weight with what happened in front of them. Those examples show how ordinary play materials became opportunities to investigate, explain and solve a problem.

During that same month, yoga brought together movement, listening, waiting and activities exploring feelings. Children voted on books or activities and discussed emotions through stories. The combination gave them opportunities to express a preference while also considering other people, with emotional learning running through play rather than sitting apart from it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden access is part of the preschool routine, alongside indoor play. This matters for children who want to move between making, imagining and physical activity during a session, rather than treating outdoor time as a separate occasional event.

In July 2022, outdoor activities included riding, running and tackling a climbing frame. Children manipulated loose parts to build pretend vehicles, using their hands as well as their whole bodies. These are inspection-era examples of the outdoor provision, rather than a promise that a particular activity happens every day now.

Older children have a different menu of play. The Out of School Club includes air hockey, a football table and a book corner, alongside jigsaws, creative activities and imaginative play. Cooking, outdoor play and group games in the school hall add further choices. During school holidays, supervised access to a bouncy castle is part of the routine, giving the holiday provision a different flavour from the preschool day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role forms part of the staff structure, providing a designated role for special educational needs coordination. At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding arrangements and strong SEND support, including early identification of developmental needs, referrals to other agencies and strategies to help children build skills. These are dated findings, rather than a general guarantee about any child's future experience.

School preparation also included attention to feelings. In July 2022, children used a soft toy in pretend play about starting a new school, talking about worry and fear. That example matters because preparation for school involves understanding change as well as acquiring practical skills.

Relationships and Communication

The parent arrangements include keeping families informed about development and progress. When behaviour causes difficulty, staff discuss it with parents and work towards a shared response. This gives families a practical part in addressing problems rather than leaving the response entirely within the childcare setting.

Food arrangements depend on the session. Breakfast is included in before-school care and a snack is included in the after-school session, while children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch from home; the dietary policy states that allergies and dietary requests will be accommodated.

Sessions and Attendance

Rainbow opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks each year. The preschool booking choices include a morning from 9am to noon, an afternoon from noon to 3pm, a 9am to 3pm day and an 8am to 6pm day. Before-school care begins at 8am and ends when school starts. These are different attendance options, not simply one opening window.

Children combining Rainbow with a school nursery class can receive care before class, during the morning, over lunchtime or in the afternoon. The preschool routine includes taking children to nursery class and collecting them afterwards, making the movement between the two parts of the day part of the service.

For school-age children, term-time care runs before school from 8am and after school from 3.15pm to 6pm. Holiday choices are 8am to 1pm, 1pm to 6pm, 9am to 3pm or 8am to 6pm. The shorter holiday options are useful for families whose requirements differ from a full working day.

Getting There and Joining

The address is Millbrook Primary School, Kirkby Row, Liverpool, L32 0TG. Enquiries can be made on 0151 548 0893 or through the contact form. Applications use an Admission Form and Consent Form, with families specifying the sessions required.

Rainbow describes its school links as a partnership with Millbrook and a service for St Michael and All Angels Primary Schools. Where appropriate, children are escorted between Rainbow and the designated school collection point. Attendance at Rainbow does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children receiving two year old funding, three/four education funding and the Extended Childcare Offer. Private paid sessions are also offered. Families obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation, with the preschool charges and routine setting out the session structure.

Additional charges may apply to extra activities such as holiday trips. Fees are payable in advance, weekly or monthly, unless a different arrangement has been agreed. Changes to booked places require one week's notice, so adjustments to a family's routine need some planning.

• Combining nursery class and childcare. Rainbow supports attendance around a school nursery session. Discuss the handover arrangements for the particular combination your child will use, including who takes responsibility at each changeover.
• Settling and everyday supplies. For a child starting preschool, what settling arrangements and key-person contact will apply, and which everyday consumables should come from home?
• Changing the booking. One week's notice is required for changes to booked places. This matters if working hours vary or a family expects to alter its sessions frequently.
• Dietary needs. Lunch comes from home, while breakfast and after-school snacks form part of relevant sessions. Families managing an allergy should confirm current food-handling practice and how their child's requirements will be communicated.

Rainbow suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool care, a longer preschool day, or childcare around school and during holidays. Its school-site base and nursery-class handovers make it especially relevant to families combining two forms of early-years provision. The garden, practical play and separate older-child activities give the offer substance. The Outstanding judgement belongs to July 2022; the decision today also rests on whether the session choices, packed-lunch arrangement and school connections fit the family's actual routine.