Cherry Trees Preschool

Inspection of Cherry Trees Preschool Silchester Village Hall, Silchester, Reading, Berks RG7 2ND

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children arrive at their pre-school showing high levels of motivation and engagement. They eagerly greet their friends and settle down quickly to their day, showing high levels of belonging and self-worth. Children demonstrate their good understanding of how to keep themselves and their friends safe. They take good care of resources and respond quickly to calls for tidy-up time.

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The provision is good

Staff successfully create a culture that enables children to develop their emotional well-being to the highest level. Children respond well to staff's high expectations and are very well behaved. They show a mature consideration of how to manage their feelings, and they take turns with toys and share these with their friends. Children take care of the well-behaved, visiting pet dog, who acts as a nurturing companion for quieter children.

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The provision is good

Children engage in exciting activities outdoors. These help them to connect with nature and gain a deeper understanding of the world and the community they live in. For example, children benefit from adventures into local woods where they 'hunt for treasure'. They sort food packaging into recycling bins and walk to the community recycling services as part of the pre-school's commitment to sustainability. Children develop a strong love of books. They sit and listen well to a story at group time and energetically join in with familiar phrases.

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need to do better?

n Leadership and management are strong at all levels. The committee, which acts as the provider, has effective oversight of the provision. The well-qualified chair of the committee and the manager use their experience and training well, to provide strategic direction and good levels of challenge for the staffing team. Monitoring is aptly focused on supporting staff to deliver their roles and responsibilities well, for example through the provision of training and effective staff supervision opportunities. Staff report favourably on their workload and the support they receive. n The manager and staff have a good knowledge of how children learn. They implement effectively a curriculum that is guided by what children need to learn next. Staff successfully help children to consolidate and strengthen their knowledge, helping them move to the next challenge in their learning. All children, including those who have been in receipt of additional funding, make

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need to do better?

good gains in their learning. They develop a wide range of skills and demonstrate high levels of independence, in readiness for their next stage in education. n Staff deliver high-quality interactions that build on children's speech and language skills effectively. For example, children enthusiastically engage in a

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need to do better?

6 December 2021 listening and matching game. They listen carefully to the instructions given and develop their problem-solving skills as they find the matching cards through a process of elimination. Staff model language well and extend children's vocabulary successfully. Children speak with increasing confidence and fluency. Overall, children enjoy the activities on offer. However, some planned activities do not provide the highest level of challenge for some children. This means that these children do not experience a sense of achievement when they overcome something they have found difficult to do. n Staff place a good focus on teaching children the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children regularly play outdoors, follow thorough hygiene practices and participate in regular physical activities. Staff encourage children to have a go when trying to complete tasks for themselves to develop their

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need to do better?

independence. Children explore a wide variety of festivals and celebrations through topic work. However, there are less opportunities for children to learn about their own cultural heritage. n Staff establish effective working partnerships with parents, carers and other early years providers. Regular information-sharing, including on children's progress and next steps, ensures that parents and others are working together to assure children's continued good progress. Parents are very complimentary about the staff and their professionalism, care and commitment to children, and they rate the provision highly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including the manager and the chair of the committee, have a strong knowledge of safeguarding matters in their designated safeguarding lead roles. They show commitment to assuring children's safety, for example through early identification of any minor concerns and signposting to partner agencies before these escalate. Regular training informs staff's good knowledge of safeguarding policy and procedure, including signs that children may be at risk of extreme or radical behaviour. Staff have a secure knowledge of the setting's whistle-blowing policy if they are concerned about the behaviour of another staff member. Staff place a high importance on keeping children safe, including through effective risk assessments and maintaining safe premises. The committee assures staff's suitability to work with children through robust suitability checks.

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should:

n improve staff's understanding of questioning techniques in order to provide challenging opportunities for children to solve problems, predict outcomes and persevere at tasks

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should:

6 December 2021 n extend opportunities for children to recognise their own heritage and cultural identity in the provision.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2537798 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10215253 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Impstone Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07825993436 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Cherry Trees Preschool registered in 2019. It operates from Silchester Village Hall, Silchester, near Reading. The pre-school opens every weekday from 9am until 2.45pm, term time only. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are three members of staff working with the children and they hold qualifications to level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children, to find out about their experiences at pre- school. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a matching game. n Parents and carers shared their views on the setting with the inspector. n The inspector talked to the chair of the committee and the staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

6 December 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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