Cygnets Pre-School

Cygnets Pre-School

Unique reference number (URN): EY275703 Address: Sandalwood Road, WESTBURY, Wiltshire, BA13 3UR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 12/01/2004 Registers: EYR Registered person: Cygnets Pre-School Committee

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding. Leaders do not ensure that safeguarding concerns are followed up on quickly. This means that information is not shared with other agencies in line with the early years foundation stage. Staff record concerns they have about children and discuss this information with families. However, they do not take further action to ensure the safety of children and families is assured.

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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 have established warm, nurturing relationships between staff and children. Children know what staff expect of them, and they have a positive approach to behaviour. Staff build trusting relationships with children, helping them feel emotionally secure as they explore the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff effectively support children to collaborate and get along with others. Children take turns, sharing resources and working side by side in play spaces. Staff typically model social language well and help children navigate social interactions. Leaders consider individual developmental needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure expectations are appropriate.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders also promote the importance of good attendance and punctuality. They help families build consistent routines that benefit children's learning and wellbeing. The provider has high expectations of children's behaviour. They deploy staff well, when considering children's needs and challenges. Children, particularly those that experience disadvantage, develop a positive attitude to learning. Children show pride in their setting and develop responsibility as they independently clear and wash their plates and cutlery after lunch.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure children receive individualised care that meets their needs. They do this well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff support children to develop independence at an age-appropriate level. They gently encourage them to dress themselves, put on their shoes and manage their own personal care, offering support only when needed.

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Needs attention

The key-person system is effective. It supports warm, secure and responsive relationships between children and staff. Staff typically engage sensitively with children during play, offering comfort and reassurance, such as a cuddle when children become upset. Children with SEND receive thoughtful, flexible support. For instance, when children arrive quieter than usual, staff adjust routines to provide caring attention, helping them settle quickly.

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Needs attention

Leaders promote physical health. Children learn how to stay safe in the setting as they climb, balance and jump. The provider arranges for children to explore new environments. For instance, they enhance children's wellbeing when they visit the local playing field.

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Needs attention

Staff sit with children during meals. They ensure children are safe as they eat and they model social behaviours. Children learn healthy habits as they talk about foods that are good for their bodies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children's individual needs are identified and assessed when they enter the setting. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities access meaningful play and learning experiences. Leaders take action to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing through reasonable adjustments, tailored support and inclusive practices. This enables staff to respond effectively to children's needs so they can participate and make progress. Parents share positive feedback about how this personalised support helps their children develop. They note the setting's flexibility in adapting the environment and routines to meet their children's physical, communication or sensory needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders closely monitor each child's progress and regularly review support plans, evaluating the impact of interventions and adjusting strategies where required. Staff receive training on the graduated approach, equipping them to observe, assess and plan effectively for children with emerging or identified needs. Leaders work with families and external professionals to shape children's support, ensuring inclusion for children in the environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use funding effectively. They reduce barriers to learning by providing tailored, targeted support. Children who experience disadvantage regularly benefit from small group and dedicated one-to-one language sessions. This supports them to make progress in their learning and development.

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Achievement Needs attention

While leaders monitor the progress that children make from their starting points, they do not ensure that all children receive the adaptations they need to progress through the curriculum. Some children are not engaging in purposeful activities so that they develop age-appropriate skills. This means that not all children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning. They are not developing skills that enable them to progress to school and other settings.

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Urgent improvement

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the effective support leaders and staff provide. They develop well in their social skills and communication and language. For example, children enjoy role play, where they explore their understanding of people who help us, such as doctors and nurses.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have identified appropriate actions to improve the teaching of their curriculum. However, the pace of improvement is not fast enough to ensure the curriculum is consistently taught well. Although staff understand children's needs well, teaching is inconsistent. Some staff are passive in their interactions with children. When this happens, children do not benefit from the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have ensured the curriculum is ambitious. Generally, they ensure their curriculum approach encourages children to freely choose what they would like to play with each session. This includes children being able to play inside or outside for the whole day. This provides them with long, uninterrupted periods of free play. Overall, staff move around the room supporting specific children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They facilitate children's choices and offer story and singing times. Most staff implement this curriculum approach and is familiar to children. Some staff do support children in small groups by engaging conversations. This allows them to engage in discussions, practising language, listening and mathematical skills. They do this well for children experiencing disadvantage. Children practise simple physical skills as they walk along balancing beams.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have failed to act promptly on safeguarding concerns. Delays in reporting concerns to the appropriate authorities have compromised children's safety and placed them at risk.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have identified areas for improvement, such as improving the quality of teaching. They have developed plans to bring about improvement. These include training for staff. However, slow implementation of professional development plans means staff do not develop the skills needed to improve teaching quickly enough.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders have systems to monitor the progress children make. These are effective for children who experience disadvantage. However, they do not consistently use this information to make sure all children make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders accurately identify that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength. Decisions are generally made in the best interests of these children and others who may face barriers to learning. The provider takes staff wellbeing into account. They support staff through meetings to share information, provide policy updates. Leaders do engage with parents and professionals appropriately. This helps to support consistent practises and helps children's preparations for future learning.

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

Children do not consistently experience safe and secure care. Weak safeguarding practice and delays in acting on concerns mean children are not protected in a timely way. This is a breach of the early years foundation stage requirements.

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

While the provider monitors the development of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), they do not do this consistently for other children. When this happens, children do not make quick enough progress from their starting points. Leaders identify where teaching can be improved. However, plans to bring about improvements are not acted on quickly enough to ensure children benefit from the setting's curriculum.

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

Children have appropriate communication skills. They confidently play alongside staff and ask for help when selecting activities. A key-person system helps children settle quickly into the setting on arrival. The key-person buddy system ensures continuity of care by allocating another familiar adult when a child's key person is absent. Children are developing their social skills as they engage in the setting. Children cooperate well as they share and take turns at the water tray, showing enjoyment as they fill their pots from the water barrel. The environment provides a variety of different experiences for children to access during the day. They choose to play inside or outside and enjoy exploring the setting and the activities they freely choose throughout the day.

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

Children who face barriers in their learning, such as those with SEND, are well supported to make progress from their starting points. The inclusive approach within the setting means that children show confidence navigating the environment, and they are listened to. Children select their own activities and are confident asking for resources that they would like to play with, which staff facilitate. They are developing independence at an age-appropriate level. Children's absences from the setting are noted and followed up by the staff.

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Next steps

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

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Address:

Sandalwood Road WESTBURY Wiltshire BA13 3UR

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Action Completion Date

ensure leaders take swift action to share information and report concerns about children and their families in line with local safeguarding partnership procedures 31/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that improvement plans aimed at strengthening teaching are implemented so that all children benefit from the setting's curriculum 27/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

use information from the monitoring of children's progress to adapt practice so that all children make steady progress from their starting points 27/03/2026

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About this inspection

The Inspector spoke to parents, staff, designated safeguarding lead, managers and the leader for inclusion as part of this inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standard 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

The inspection started on 19 January 2026. Inspectors returned on 11 March 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Registered person: Cygnets Pre-School Committee

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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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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