Cherry Blossom Preschool

A Pratten building, an enclosed play area and access to woodland give Cherry Blossom Preschool a clear rural character. Based at Luckington Community School in Luckington, it has capacity for 20 children aged two to five. The appeal is the combination of a small setting and outdoor space that extends beyond its own play area.

Ofsted rated the preschool Good on 6 December 2024, while identifying a need for staff to stretch learning further, especially for more capable children. That balance matters: there is a positive inspection judgement, but challenge is a specific point for parents to explore.

Morning, afternoon, school-day and full-day sessions serve different family routines, with both term-time and all-year contracts.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and practical experiences forming part of the day. Here, staff combine activities chosen by children with those initiated by adults, and respond to interests as they emerge. Children therefore have opportunities to make choices as well as take part in planned learning.

Indoor and outdoor provision receive equal emphasis. Children are encouraged to use both in different weather, with multicultural and inclusive resources supporting exploration. This gives families a clearer picture of the approach than a curriculum label alone: choice, hands-on experiences and adult interaction are central to the daily offer.

In December 2024, children worked with dough to create pretend food, while adults used play as an opportunity to introduce writing through a shopping list. There was a limitation, too. Learning sometimes stopped short of what more capable children needed, and some lost interest when activities did not stretch them enough.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Pratten building has access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. The preschool also describes working closely with the school, giving children access to playgrounds, woodland and areas for investigating nature. These are useful physical resources for a setting whose approach gives outdoor learning equal weight.

In December 2024, water play involved making mixtures and transferring liquid with pipettes. The small movements involved gave children practice relevant to later writing, while adults introduced vocabulary during the activity. Outdoor time had a learning purpose as well as room for exploration.

Forest School, PE sessions and Yoga sessions are additional services covered by the funded-session supplement. They sit alongside the EYFS offer; families comparing attendance patterns need to account for that supplement as well as the hours themselves.

Relationships and Communication

In December 2024, adults used signs, pictures and straightforward language to help children understand and communicate. Everyday independence was also visible: younger children managed coats and located their shoes, while others handled scissors and sorted waste for recycling. Practical tasks gave children opportunities to do things for themselves.

Parents' evenings provided progress updates in December 2024, and staff offered ideas for continuing learning at home. Behaviour support relied on adults demonstrating considerate actions and giving calm reminders. Children practised sharing and waiting for one another, making social learning part of ordinary routines rather than a separate lesson.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong support for children with SEND, with staff working alongside families and other professionals to maintain consistent care and support development. In December 2024, this collaboration helped staff provide consistent care and support children's development.

The current team structure includes a SEND coordinator, a designated safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding roles. First aid, food hygiene and allergy training also feature in staff training. These are concrete arrangements; the dated inspection remains the basis for judging their effectiveness.

Privately paid sessions include snacks and meals, including a cooked lunch; meals and snacks are charged separately on funded sessions through the supplement. Non-food consumables are also covered by the funded-session supplement.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year. Morning sessions run from 8am, 8.45am or 9am until 1pm. Afternoon sessions start at 1pm and finish at either 5pm or 6pm.

Full Day options are 8am to 6pm, 8am to 5pm, 8am to 3pm, 9am to 5pm and 9am to 6pm. School Day options run from 9am to 3pm or 8.45am to 3.15pm. The different finishing times make it possible to compare a shorter preschool day with longer care rather than treating the opening window as the only choice.

Both all-year and term-time contracts are offered, and additional hours can be booked on an ad hoc basis. Monthly invoices reflect the sessions used, so totals can change with the number of sessions in a month. Breakfast Club and an afterschool session from 3pm to 6pm are also offered.

Getting There

The preschool is at Luckington Community School, with its contact address at The Green, Luckington, Chippenham SN14 6NU. Enquiries can be made through an online form, by email or on 01249 735 555.

The preschool describes a close working relationship with the school, including shared outdoor access. Attending does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes universal funding of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year for three- and four-year-olds, 30 hours per week for eligible working families with children aged two, three or four, and 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year for eligible two-year-olds whose families receive support. Entitlement is conditional where applicable; preschool attendance does not establish eligibility.

Funding can be used across sessions and stretched for children attending throughout the year. Stretching distributes the entitlement across the year, reducing the weekly funded hours rather than preserving the term-time weekly allowance. Funded-session supplements cover food, non-food consumables and additional services, while hours beyond the funded entitlement attract private fees. For eligible two-year-olds receiving support-based funding, lunches are charged separately; exceptional arrangements remove additional-service charges for lower-income or disadvantaged families.

A registration charge is payable before starting, with a deposit component returned through the final invoice; the registration charge is non-refundable if the child does not start. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, and the fees page explains the charge structure.

• Stretch for confident learners. In December 2024, some more capable children lost interest when activities offered too little challenge. During a visit, ask how staff now extend learning within child-chosen play.
• Funding and extras. Funded sessions carry supplements, with exceptional arrangements for lower-income or disadvantaged families. Request a written quotation for the intended pattern that separates funded hours, private hours, meals, consumables and additional services.
• School-site relationship. Access to school outdoor spaces adds to the preschool's offer, but attendance does not guarantee Reception admission. Plan the local authority application separately from preschool booking.

Cherry Blossom Preschool suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance as well as school-day or full-day care, with term-time and all-year contracts adding another practical choice. The Pratten building's enclosed play area and access to school woodland give the rural setting substance. The December 2024 judgement supports the overall picture, with SEND support a strength and greater challenge for more capable children the clear improvement point.