Cherry Blossom Pre-School

Play-led activities give Cherry Blossom Pre-School its character, with a school-site base at Cherry Tree Academy in Pontefract. Children have a named Key Worker, and activities are shaped around their interests and stage of development. The emphasis is on getting to know the child, rather than expecting everyone to learn at the same pace.

The pre-school has 40 places in total for children aged two to five. At its October 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, alongside a calm social atmosphere and confident children. It offers both sessional attendance and full-day care. For parents, that combines a preschool setting with more than one way of arranging attendance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: through play, children develop language, make choices, learn to cooperate and build physical skills. At Cherry Blossom, their interests help shape those activities. That makes the child's curiosity a starting point for the day, rather than an extra added after an adult's plan.

In October 2023, books, songs and rhymes supported language learning. During a story, staff explained unfamiliar vocabulary, then returned to those words through questions. Children were also taking part in Twitch, a programme supporting enjoyment of books and reading. The useful detail is the conversation around the story: children had opportunities to understand and revisit new language.

Small practical challenges added another dimension. In October 2023, children used tweezers to retrieve insects concealed in coloured rice, persisting with a task that called for careful handling. They could choose their play, too, giving them opportunities to make decisions for themselves. These examples show how ordinary play materials can create purposeful learning experiences.

Outdoor space is part of the current setting. In October 2023, children used it daily for tricycle riding and construction, including making a house. A den-building activity used a tarpaulin and clips, with children encouraged to solve problems together. The activity brought movement, cooperation and practical thinking into the same piece of play.

There was a clear qualification to this picture. In October 2023, teaching and adult interactions varied in quality, while some freely chosen activities needed resources more closely matched to their intended learning. A busy activity is not automatically a challenging one. Consistency across staff and thoughtful selection of materials were the two improvement priorities.

A named Key Worker works with each child and maintains contact with their family. This gives parents an identifiable person with whom to share information, while giving the child a continuing relationship within the setting. Partnership with parents is part of the current approach to planning play and supporting development.

At the October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress and that staff recognised emerging concerns promptly, sought additional help and supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language. That finding matters because it describes practical responses to individual needs, rather than simply an inclusive intention.

In October 2023, settling included a home visit. Staff also spent time with their key children in groups, linking the individual relationship with shared experiences. Gentle behavioural reminders and praise helped children cooperate and understand boundaries. For a child beginning preschool, those routines can make the expectations of group play easier to understand.

Health was woven into the October 2023 day through healthy food choices, access to drinking water and learning about caring for teeth. Supervision covered both indoor and outdoor play, and staff had procedures for raising welfare concerns and responding to emergencies.

Cherry Blossom operates at Cherry Tree Academy, Cobblers Lane, Pontefract, WF8 2HN. It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, across the year. Sessional attendance and full-day care are separate options; the opening window describes the setting's operating hours.

Funded childcare is offered. The contact number is 01924370770 for enquiries about starting at Cherry Blossom.

The school-site location needs a separate admissions decision in families' planning: attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The preschool choice and the later school application should therefore be considered separately.

• Teaching consistency. October 2023 improvement priorities concerned variation in adult teaching and the challenge offered by some freely chosen activities. During a tour, ask how staff now plan those activities and support learning across the team.
• Attendance and funded costs. Both sessional and full-day care are offered, alongside funded childcare. Ask for one written plan covering the sessions you want, the funded entitlement and its delivery pattern, plus the arrangements for meals and consumables.
• Settling and the school site. A tour or taster session can be arranged, and home visits formed part of settling in October 2023. Use that opportunity to discuss your child's start and keep the separate Reception application in mind.

Cherry Blossom suits families seeking either sessional preschool attendance or full-day care in a school setting, with play-led activities and a named Key Worker. The October 2023 picture has substance: language-rich story time, practical outdoor construction and attention to individual needs. The counterweight is equally specific, with teaching consistency and the challenge of some activities requiring attention. Those are useful priorities for a family visit.