A pre-school has been told to address safety and behaviour concerns.

Once Upon A Time Pre-School and After School Club, located at Cherry Orchard Day Centre in Croydon, has been rated as "requires improvement" following an inspection by Ofsted on October 18.

The latest inspection marks a significant decline from its previous "outstanding" rating in 2018.

Inspectors highlighted several concerns regarding safety, behaviour management, and the overall organisation of activities, prompting the pre-school to take immediate action to improve.

The inspection found that staff do not consistently support children in regulating their emotions or resolving conflicts.

In some cases, children were left without adequate guidance during disputes, and opportunities to teach conflict resolution were missed.

Supervision during mealtimes was flagged as a significant issue, with instances of children sharing food from each other's lunchboxes going unnoticed.

Inspectors noted that staff failed to adequately teach children how to stay safe, which poses potential risks to their wellbeing.

Transitions between activities were described as chaotic, leading to restlessness and disruptive behaviours among children.

Staff coordination during these periods was found to be insufficient, leaving some children disengaged and without structured learning opportunities.

While the pre-school has a structured curriculum, inspectors noted that planned learning objectives were not applied consistently, which limits children's educational development.

The pre-school has been given a deadline of November 18 to implement improvements, including introducing consistent strategies to help children regulate their emotions and resolve conflicts, training staff to ensure children are taught how to stay safe, deploying staff more effectively during mealtimes to supervise children and promote healthy habits, and refining transitions between activities to ensure children remain engaged and productive.

Despite the concerns raised, inspectors did highlight some positive aspects of the pre-school’s operations.

The pre-school effectively uses additional funding to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Staff work closely with parents and external professionals to implement tailored support plans.

Inspectors praised the pre-school's safeguarding culture, which prioritises children's interests and safety.

Engaging activities, such as bubble machines and songs, were commended for encouraging children’s language and literacy development.

Outdoor opportunities to run, climb, and explore nature were noted as beneficial for children’s physical development and curiosity.

Once Upon A Time Pre-School caters to 80 children aged 2–4 years and operates Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm, during term-time only.

It has 60 available places and employs 18 staff members, 16 of whom are Level 2 qualified or above, with two holding early years professional status.