Arbury Preschool

Arbury Preschool

Unique reference number (URN): 2742207 Address: ARBURY PRE SCHOOL, 38 Carlton Way, Cambridge, CB4 2DE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/07/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Peacock Early Years Provisions Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff are good role models, setting high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes. Children respond positively, sharing toys and taking turns with guidance and age-appropriate support from staff when needed. On the see-saw, they play harmoniously, inviting friends to join in as they move the equipment together. During outdoor play, children share bikes and scooters, receiving praise from staff when they do so independently. These interactions help to raise children's self-esteem and give them a clear understanding of expected behaviours.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children attend regularly by fostering positive relationships with families and responding to their individual needs. They work closely with parents and carers and external professionals to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing additional barriers to learning, receive appropriate support. Carefully planned settling-in sessions and a gradual start help children feel secure and confident, fostering a positive attitude towards their learning and their time at the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of each child's individual needs, taking into account their family background, experiences and broader context. They share this knowledge effectively within the team to provide consistent, personalised support and to ensure that every child receives the guidance they need to thrive. This approach is particularly valuable for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing additional barriers to learning, helping them to feel secure and supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are given safe opportunities to take manageable risks, such as using climbing equipment in the garden. These experiences help them develop confidence, resilience, coordination and problem-solving skills while learning to assess and manage challenges independently. When children become unsettled or anxious, staff respond quickly with reassurance, helping them regulate their emotions and feel secure within the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

During mealtimes, children talk about their likes and dislikes, while staff use these opportunities to promote healthy eating. Children learn to identify foods high in sugar and those that contribute to good oral health. Staff encourage regular handwashing, and parents and carers report that children share their knowledge of germs at home, demonstrating the positive impact of these routines on children's learning, health and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff work closely with families to support the needs of each child. Managers recognise the importance of strong attendance and prioritise building positive and effective partnerships with parents and carers to ensure that children are able to access the provision.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make sure that decisions about additional funding are closely linked to each child's individual needs. Staff quickly identify when children need extra support and put effective strategies in place.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that children and their families receive the support they need to thrive. Targeted support plans are created in partnership with parents, allowing them to share their insights and stay informed about their children's progress. This collaborative approach ensures consistency between home and the setting, supporting children's access to learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of the context of the setting and use this knowledge to tailor the support and care they provide. Leaders and staff are reflective, regularly reviewing practice and identifying areas for improvement. Through observations and meetings, leaders provide ongoing guidance to staff. They support professional development and ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Leaders foster a supportive environment where staff feel valued, confident and able to contribute to children's learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff work closely with parents and carers to build strong relationships, enabling them to gather detailed information about each child's individual needs, interests and home circumstances. This partnership ensures that children receive consistent, personalised support that responds to both their development and daily changes in their lives.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff work effectively with other professionals, including schools and other early years settings, to support smooth transitions for children as they move on. They work with specialists and other agencies to provide additional support for all children, ensuring that their needs are met both in the setting and at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance arrangements provide clear oversight, ensuring that safeguarding, wellbeing and professional development are prioritised. Leaders maintain appropriate expectations for staff, fostering a culture of teamwork, trust and continuous improvement that supports children and families.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children do not consistently build on their prior learning over time. This limits their ability to consolidate what they already know and can do and affects the consistency of their progress across the curriculum. That said, leaders value children's development across all areas of learning and provide activities that offer experiences children might not otherwise have.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children develop their personal, social and emotional skills through play and everyday experiences. They build their communication skills as they interact with others and explore activities together. As children explore dough and natural materials, they develop their imagination, extend their vocabulary and build control and coordination that supports their future learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children develop early mathematical awareness, such as identifying numerals and matching them to corresponding objects and counting as they play. They gain skills that help to prepare them for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is largely activity led and does not consistently build on what children already know and can do. As a result, learning is not always planned in a clear sequence, and opportunities for children to revisit and secure prior learning are not consistently in place. This limits children's ability to make sustained progress across all areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders recognise this inconsistency and reflect on the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They work hard to ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those from disadvantaged backgrounds, benefit from a supportive learning environment while improvements are being developed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff plan experiences that support children's personal, social and emotional development, helping children to form positive relationships, manage their feelings and develop confidence. However, these experiences are not always sequenced to build progressively on children's prior learning. Snack time is used as a routine opportunity for children to practise self-care skills and social interaction, such as spreading toppings and talking with others about their interests and feelings.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Children's communication and language skills are given attention within the setting, and staff plan activities intended to build children's vocabulary and early literacy skills. For example, children discuss why wet sand will not pass through a funnel, learn the names of fruits and vegetables through board games and begin to explore the sounds in words. Despite this, teaching does not consistently build on children's starting points over time, which limits how securely learning is embedded.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy, confident and well cared for in this nurturing environment. Staff greet children and their families personally, providing reassurance and helping them feel valued. Children follow the pre-school routines, knowing where to hang up their coats and store their drinks. They eagerly join their friends for the morning group activities, where staff share stories and sing songs. These consistent routines help children feel secure, fostering a sense of belonging and readiness for learning.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff get to know the children well. A supportive key-person system is in place to help children develop secure relationships. Regular assessments of children's progress help staff to quickly identify any barriers to learning. Staff work closely with parents and carers, as well as outside agencies, to provide targeted support. They recognise the different experiences children bring with them and use this knowledge to create opportunities that support and extend children's learning. For example, children are provided with a range of outdoor equipment, such as bikes and scooters, enabling them to build on their gross motor skills and coordination. During singing time, children join in with well-known songs and link key words to pictures and objects. Opportunities such as these support children's early language skills and help them make meaningful connections in their learning. However, the curriculum

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

does not always ensure that children sequentially build on what they already know and can do. Although children enjoy the activities provided, staff do not consistently plan learning to build on children's knowledge and skills over time.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. Staff plan opportunities for children to build on their social interactions through small-group activities. Staff model how to take turns and listen to others as they learn about oral hygiene. Children then replicate these positive interactions as they play and explore.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following action by the assigned date:

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Address:

ARBURY PRE SCHOOL 38 Carlton Way Cambridge CB4 2DE

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Peacock Early Years Provisions Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, parents, children and the nominated individual during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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