Rainbow Pre-School and Out of School Club

Garden discoveries, independently chosen paint and home-grown snacks give Rainbow’s January 2022 picture its character. Children built obstacle courses with natural materials and used books to investigate insects they had discovered outdoors. These were practical opportunities to explore, make decisions and follow an interest.

Rainbow Pre-School and Out of School Club has 30 places for children aged two to five, at Mierscourt Primary School in Rainham. At its January 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, with children who had special educational needs and/or disabilities making good progress through plans developed with other professionals.

In January 2022, the pre-school occupied a single room in a building on the school site, with an outdoor area that supported physical exploration. Children assembled their own obstacle courses using natural resources. That gave them a role in shaping their play.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: play, communication and growing independence belong alongside everyday care routines. In January 2022, this took concrete forms at Rainbow. Children learned to dispense paint themselves, while writing materials supported their construction play, allowing them to put ideas on paper.

Conversation also extended practical activities. During that month, staff introduced vocabulary in creative play and developed children’s interest in railway tracks, signals and how trains moved. Fruit and vegetables grown by the children became snacks, connecting gardening with food and healthy choices.

In January 2022, each child’s key person provided a familiar adult, and parents knew whom to approach with questions. Staff met families to discuss learning and offered ideas for continuing it at home. Photographs of pre-school experiences and stories brought from home gave children material to talk about, linking the two parts of their lives.

Toileting support was sensitive in January 2022, including accommodating potties brought from home. Children could practise independence using something familiar. The setting employed 11 staff at that time; that whole-setting count should not be read as a room ratio or group size.

The address is Mierscourt Primary School, Silverspot Close, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 8JR. Opening hours are 7.15am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure in school holidays.

In January 2022, pre-school attendance included a 9am to 3pm day, morning sessions from 9am to 11.30am and afternoon sessions from 12.15pm to 3pm. A lunch club linked the shorter sessions between 11.30am and 12.15pm. These are dated attendance arrangements, rather than a statement of today’s booking terms.

The setting received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four in January 2022. Its position on the Mierscourt Primary School site does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Transitions between activities. In January 2022, prolonged group routines at lunchtime and tidy-up left some children disengaged. The organisation of these periods was an improvement priority.
• Turning feedback into action. In January 2022, leaders gathered views from children, families and staff, but lacked targeted development plans. Feedback needed a clearer connection to practical changes.
• Attendance and funding. The January 2022 arrangements combined a pre-school day with morning and afternoon sessions. At a visit, which of these patterns can your child use now, and how would funded hours and paid extras fit that booking?

Rainbow’s January 2022 account offers concrete examples of independence, outdoor investigation and communication with families. It also identifies weaknesses in group routines and development planning. Rainbow suits families seeking term-time care for children aged two to five. Its January 2022 attendance arrangements included both a pre-school day and shorter morning or afternoon sessions.