Rainbow Baby Nursery
& Day Nursery

(Birth to 3 years)

Our 'Baby Nursery' and "Day Nursery" are two separate facilities with all their own amenities both inside and outside, including hard and soft play areas. The Baby Nursery has four large day rooms, two sleep rooms, an activity room and a dining room catering for babies 6 weeks to 2 years. The Day Nursery has two large day rooms and a sleep room catering for toddlers 2-3 years. Each room within the Baby Nursery and Day Nursery has its own development programme and specialist resources with qualified caring staff with whom the children can relate to.

Here at Rainbow we use the nationally recognised document known as "Birth to Three Matters". This enables our practioners to meet the individual needs of our children, to plan activities and provide a safe, happy and stimulating environment for our children.

Birth to Three Framework

The purpose of the frame work is to provide support, information and guidance for all our practioners responsbile for the care and education for babies and children from birth to three. The framework identifies four aspects of learning which celebrate the skill and confidence of babies and young children, and highlights the inter-relationships between growth, learning, development and the environment, in which they are cared for and educated.

The four aspects of learning are;- A strong child, A skilful communicator, A competent learner and A healthy child.

At Rainbow our babies and young children are given opportunities, which allow them to make decisions, choices and become respected as autonomous learners. The relationship between practioners and children within the nursery is essential for children's well being. With the suppor of a knowledgeable and trusted adult, children will become actively involved and interested in their surroundings and the environment. Our staff at Rainbow are qualified dedicated, caring adults who respect the child as an individual including those with SEN and/or disability.

Observations and assessment are an important and ongoing practice to enable us to help. develop and understand our children. From these observations we gather information needed to plan activities, to provide a stimulating environment in which children feel happy, secure and ready to take the next step in learning. This valuable information is available to share with parents. Here at Rainbow we provide ourselves on our strong parent/carer partenership.

A daily record of a baby's food and fluid intake, sleep, nappy changes and activities are avail able to all parents

For the older babies activities are relaxed and informal giving children a chance to explore and discover, these include water and sand play, books, music, and role playing.

Outside acitivities include riding tricycles and cars, rockers, climbing frames and slides.

Rainbow Nursery School
(3- 5 years)

Within our Pre-School building there are four teaching classrooms where we place great emphasis on the nationally recognised document known as the "Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage"

Practioners cater for children's individual needs by using the document to plan activities, experiences and a stimulating environment. The document is split into six inter-linked areas of learning, each being given equal emphasis.

Personal and Social Development

Aims to teach children to play, explore and access opportunities in a co-operative manner. Children acquire social skills that scaffold their own independent learning. Children begin to understand that they and their peers have growing needs.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

Children use all their senses to learn about their environment and the groups with which they belong. They acquire skills to help them to develop into inquisitive, explorative learners. Learning takes place within various environments including the Pre-School rooms, outdoors and local amenities. Children also learn the need to respect and understand the diversity of beliefs, cultures and celebrations within society.

Physical Development

Development is encouraged through healthy practices and an undertsanding of what their bodies need. Practioners provide opportunities to develop both gross and fine motor skills. These include fine motor skills such as scissors, pencils, cutlery and threading. For gross motor development we use outdoor areas including an adventure area with swings and climbing frames a paved area for wheeled vehicles and grassed acreage for running, parachute and circle games.

Creative Development

Focus is placed on learning creative and imaginative skills through exploration of new resources. Children have access to free choice areas such as the malleable table, design and technology and  easels. Focus activities enable children to provide artwork for their classroom environment, the home corner and to share at home. We celebrate children's achievements and encourage a sense of pride. The role-play area is changed regularly with the children's help, to foster imaginative, co-operative play.This covers experiences such as modes of transport, the home environment and multi-cultural shops and restaurants.

Communication, Language and Literacy

Children are taught how to communicate well and the purpose of learning through written form. Practioners model the use of written communication through labelsin the environment, opportunities to mark make and a wide variety of books covering various topics. The foundation stage encourages children to make small steps twards future goals such as reading and writing. We lay these foundations by teaching letter recognition, pencil control and listening skills.

Mathematical Development

Practioners use the activities and the learning environment to develop colour, number and shape recognition. We have an area dedicated to mathematical tasks such as measuring, weighing, counting and sorting. The children have access to interactive computer programmes that provide mathematical interest. Mathematical language is modelled by practioners and the children acquire this through play..

Rainbow Junior Club

Our separate 'Junior Club' facilities cater for the 5 to 12 years old age group, providing quality holiday care, along with a 'before' and 'after school' service where children are taken and collected from the local schools in our immediate geographical area.

Junior club children have access to many fun and sporting activities, from indoor table tennis, computers and board games to crafts, baking and a library area.
Outdoor activities include basketball, cricket, skipping, rounders, football. Further supervised activities are available in the 'Adventure Area', which is equipped with swings, slides, and climbing frames.

During the school holidays there is a full itinerary of days out to places of interest and fun.