Cherry Blossom Pre School

A nature garden and a reading challenge called 170 Tales for 170 Years give Cherry Blossom Pre School a clear character: play, stories and family participation shape the offer. Behind St Barnabas Church in Cheltenham, this YMCA Cheltenham setting combines early education with opportunities for children and families to spend time together beyond the classroom.

The setting's overall grade was Good on 27 January 2023, under its former name Family Space Playgroup. That judgement belongs to an earlier stage of the provision: the current offer extends from nine months to four years. There are 46 places in total, a whole-setting capacity rather than a measure of any individual group.

Term-time attendance includes morning, afternoon and all-day options. The accessible premises bring together two classrooms, a dining hall and secure outdoor areas, giving families practical features to weigh alongside the education and care.

Rooms and Ages

Children can attend from nine months to four years. The premises are fully accessible, with a dining hall and two classrooms indoors, plus a nature garden and secure outdoor areas. Outdoor exploration has a place in the setting's design, although the dated findings below remain relevant when assessing how that space is used.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play across its seven areas of learning. Cherry Blossom adds a child-led approach: children's interests help shape activities, with sensory exploration, creative work, music, movement, role play and STEM projects contributing to the day.

Its six learning pillars connect that approach to personal development. Mind concerns ideas and emotions; Body addresses physical development and respect for other people's bodies; Spirit explores connections with others and the world. Belong emphasises feeling at home, Contribute gives weight to children's voices and actions, and Thrive recognises that children develop in individual ways. These headings explain the curriculum's intentions; the concrete activities give parents something more useful to picture.

Launched in March 2026, 170 Tales for 170 Years is a storytelling challenge connected to YMCA Cheltenham's anniversary. Listening to books supplies opportunities to encounter vocabulary, follow a narrative and practise listening. Stories shared include Farmer duck and The jolly postman. The challenge makes books a shared project, rather than leaving reading as an unnamed element of the timetable.

In January 2023, indoor play included a hall obstacle course with balancing beams, poles and blocks. Children combined movement with imaginative rescue play, while the role-play area reflected familiar domestic routines such as caring for a baby. Mathematical experiences also differed by stage: younger children explored where toy animals were positioned, while older children paired written numbers with quantities during group time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Sproutlings visits the local library for Bounce and Rhyme, a library session, while Saplings takes part in stay-and-play activities at local schools. These outings extend children's experiences beyond their usual setting and give older children contact with school environments. They are preparation activities, with no admissions advantage implied.

The annual summer trip brings families together outside preschool. In June 2025, the destination was Cotswold Farm Park, where the outing included animal encounters and tractor rides. This is a family event, rather than a claim about routine weekly trips or the destination of every future summer outing.

Outdoor learning also needs a clear-eyed assessment. In January 2023, the outdoor curriculum offered fewer learning opportunities than the indoor provision, and children who preferred being outside were not consistently stretched. Opportunities to explore cultural backgrounds and differences also needed development. Those findings are useful questions for a visit, especially alongside the current nature garden and child-led approach.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry is the practical connection between home and preschool. It records children's development, observations, accidents, daily updates and bookings, and each family is required to have access. An email invitation follows enrolment. For parents, this brings learning information and everyday administration into the same system.

In January 2023, staff used praise and encouragement, and children undertook small responsibilities such as clearing plates and wiping tables after snack. The examples show how independence was practised through ordinary routines. Staff also shared information with parents about children's learning and development.

Collection arrangements are explicit. Each child has a password for collection by friends or relatives, and staff request it from the person collecting. The enrolment form also requires additional emergency contacts authorised to collect the child. These are practical procedures families need to organise before attendance begins.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that children with SEND made good progress, with staff working alongside outside professionals and directing additional funding towards children's needs. These are dated findings, rather than an assurance about every child's current experience.

A more recent development is the Early Years Inclusion Champion award, announced in June 2025 after completion of the Delivering Better Value Scheme. The work included staff training, reflection with a Gloucestershire County Council inclusion adviser and assessment of parent partnership, inclusive practice and SEND support. The award identifies a specific programme of development; it does not replace the inspection judgement.

Accessible facilities and provision for nappy changing and toileting support the practical side of care, while dietary requirements are accommodated. In January 2023, however, staff did not consistently provide the strongest language models during interactions. Further coaching was needed to extend children's speaking and vocabulary, making everyday conversation an important aspect of care to explore alongside the reading challenge.

Sessions and Attendance

Cherry Blossom operates during term time, Monday to Friday, with opening hours of 8.45am to 2.45pm. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions run from 11.45am to 2.45pm. An all-day option is also offered. Children must attend at least two sessions each week, so the booking model includes a minimum commitment even for families choosing shorter attendance.

The online enrolment form records the requested sessions, funding information and emergency contacts. Parents are responsible for applying for their child's funding. Tapestry access forms part of the enrolment arrangements, rather than being an optional communication extra.

Getting There

The address is St Barnabas Church, Orchard Way, Cheltenham, GL51 7JY, with the preschool situated behind the church. The church address identifies the setting's location; it should not be confused with YMCA Cheltenham's central office.

Funding and Paid Extras

Cherry Blossom accepts 15 and 30 hours funding for eligible children, and its attendance offer is term-time. Eligibility remains a condition, rather than a promise that every family can use either entitlement. For a family combining funding with its chosen sessions, the minimum weekly booking remains part of the practical calculation.

• Term-time timetable. The day ends at 2.45pm, and attendance requires at least two sessions per week. Morning, afternoon and all-day options offer different lengths of attendance, but families needing care through school holidays or later afternoons should weigh that timetable carefully.
• Outdoor learning and language. January 2023 improvement points covered the outdoor curriculum, consistent language modelling and opportunities to explore cultural heritage. Use a booked visit to discuss how these now work in the nature garden, daily conversations and activities about children's backgrounds.
• Care for babies. Children can attend from nine months. On a visit, ask how settling, sleep and familiar-adult care are organised for babies within this term-time preschool.

Cherry Blossom suits families seeking term-time early education through morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting the all-day option within its earlier finishing timetable. The nature garden, Tapestry communication and family summer trip make the offer tangible. The reading challenge adds another recognisable thread.

The balance is straightforward: a Good judgement from January 2023 sits alongside a broader current age range and later inclusion work. Outdoor learning, language modelling and cultural learning deserve attention when choosing. Families who value play shaped by children's interests and participation beyond the classroom have several concrete reasons to consider this setting.