Rainbow Childcare

A reading shed and weekly gardening visits give Rainbow Childcare's August 2023 story a concrete character: space for quieter moments alongside hands-on exploration. This Ossett nursery cares for children from birth to five.

At its 9 August 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, finding ambitious learning, strong relationships and effective support for children's development. The practical examples behind that judgement matter more than the label: children experimented with materials, expressed their feelings and practised doing things independently.

In August 2023, learning combined imaginative play with conversation and experimentation. Children made pretend ice creams using foam and food colouring; flour-and-water activities introduced unfamiliar vocabulary. Mathematical language also entered play, giving children opportunities to connect words with what they were doing.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the August 2023 examples show how play could bring language, early mathematics and personal development together rather than treating them as separate exercises.

Outdoors in August 2023, children had opportunities to climb, explore and judge the space around them. A reading shed gave older children somewhere to hear stories and unwind. Weekly visits from a specialist gardener involved growing flowers, herbs and vegetables, connecting practical activity with the natural world.

At the August 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified individual learning plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as part of the nursery's support. These are dated findings about practice, rather than promises about an individual child's experience today.

In August 2023, children used a feelings board with photographs and name cards to express their emotions. Staff helped them handle feelings and take turns, including waiting to throw beanbags into a basket. Everyday routines also encouraged independence: older children washed their hands and carried their lunch plates, while staff supported dressing and feeding skills.

Daily updates in August 2023 connected parents with their children's experiences, alongside encouragement to continue learning at home. Staff development drew on children's needs, and management sought ideas and feedback from both staff and parents.

School preparation that August included inviting teachers to meet children and discuss their learning needs. Information sharing and meetings with schools supported continuity between nursery and the next stage.

Rainbow Childcare's address is 152 Wakefield Road, Ossett, WF5 9AQ. It opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, throughout the year except bank holidays.

In August 2023, the nursery provided funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. That describes participation at the time of the inspection.

• Planning attendance. The weekday opening window extends to 6.30pm. At a visit, which booking patterns and funded arrangements would fit your child's age and your working week?
• Outdoor learning over time. The reading shed and weekly gardener visits were features in August 2023. Their appeal is the combination of quiet storytelling and practical growing activities; use that balance to judge whether the nursery's approach suits your child.

Rainbow Childcare merits consideration for families seeking weekday childcare across the year, especially those who value learning through conversation, imaginative play and everyday independence. Its August 2023 examples offer substance behind the Outstanding judgement. The strongest thread is the connection between learning and care: expressing feelings, experimenting with materials and practising self-care all contributed to children's nursery experience at that time.