'Warm and welcoming' Cambs preschool rated 'good' in first Ofsted inspection since opening

A preschool in Cambridgeshire has been rated 'good' in its first Ofsted inspection since opening. Caldecote Preschool in Highfields Caldecote registered with Ofsted in 2022, and the report from its May 2024 inspection was published by Ofsted on Monday (June 10).

Between 1991 and 2015, the same site was home to Caldecote Playgroup. The last Ofsted inspection before the closure of this school for children up to five years old returned an 'outstanding' rating.

Caldecote Preschool looks after children aged two to five. The Ofsted report explains: "Children are sociable, confident explorers, who enjoy their time in the warm and welcoming pre-school.

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"They enthusiastically follow their interests and are keen to build on what they already know and understand. Children listen to the explanations staff provide, helping them find out about the world around them.

"While they listen to staff and their friends, children find new words to help them expand their vocabularies. Children who speak English as an additional language are delighted to hear words in the language they use at home, through an electronic device.

"This helps them feel valued in the pre-school. Children's emotional well-being is central to the well-planned curriculum the manager and her team facilitate for all children."

The preschool gained a 'good' rating in every category assessed by Ofsted inspectors: education quality, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Caldecote Preschool had 35 children on its registers during the inspection. It employed eight members of childcare staff, and six of these held qualifications relevant to their roles.

The report continued: "Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Staff maintain strong working relationships with other professionals and organisations who also work with the children.

"Between them, they share information and individual plans to help support children's development and education. Dedicated members of staff help to ensure that children play and learn in ways that suit their levels of development.

"They spend time helping children repeat favoured activities, while introducing new words and concepts that build on what children already know."

Ofsted inspectors also said staff members at the preschool work well with parents, share information about their children with them, and provide ideas for activities they can do at home to help with their child's progress.

A spokesperson for the Caldecote Preschool said: "We are a great team and work incredibly hard to help the children to not only develop, but to grow into independent, happy and healthy children. To be told we are a 'strong good' made us very proud!"