Fir Trees Nursery School

A vegetable patch supplies snack-time food, and daily Free Flow play lets children move between indoor activities and the large outdoor space. Fir Trees Nursery School in Beverley gives children room to make choices about their day. The practical attraction is clear: exploring, growing and playing outside are part of ordinary nursery life.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Fir Trees Outstanding and found safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 40 children aged 24 to 60 months, although younger entry needs clarification before joining. Day, morning and afternoon attendance options sit within an opening window of 7.30am to 5.30pm.

Learning and Activities

Children can choose activities across several rooms rather than remain in one space throughout their play. Daily Free Flow play extends that choice outdoors. The large outdoor area gives sensory exploration and physical activity a place alongside indoor experiences; the vegetable patch adds something tangible, with children growing food that they can later eat at snack time.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means play and everyday experiences contribute to learning as well as meeting children's care needs. Fir Trees' indoor and outdoor choices provide the setting for those experiences.

In November 2024, the curriculum was planned around the interests and needs of the children attending, with activities sequenced towards their next stage of learning. Staff used descriptive conversation during play and questions that invited fuller answers. Language development was part of play, songs and stories in November 2024.

The youngest children joined What is in the box?, an activity combining songs, visual cues and actions, in November 2024. Older children took part in familiar stories, singing and rhymes. These examples give parents a concrete picture of how children could participate at different stages: joining an action, recognising a story or putting an idea into words.

Outdoor and Community Life

In November 2024, energetic outdoor play sat alongside growing fruit and vegetables, with conversations about healthy eating and caring for teeth. Children also took environmental walks, collecting natural objects and listening for sounds such as birds and tractors. The surroundings became material for conversation and discovery.

Community experiences at that time included visits to a local school to watch Christmas concerts, alongside learning about religions and festivals. These were opportunities to encounter life beyond the nursery. They do not imply an admissions advantage at the school.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2024, children turned to their key person for comfort or help when tired. Staff used regular assessments to follow development and identify where an intervention might be useful. For families, the important mechanism is the link between knowing an individual child and planning what comes next.

Parents' ambitions for their children were part of those conversations in November 2024. Staff asked what families wanted their children to achieve, giving home priorities a place in nursery planning. Children also practised small acts of independence, including feeding themselves and making choices about books. Those ordinary moments gave them opportunities to act for themselves.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received carefully tailored support, additional funding was used effectively, and staff also supported children learning English as an additional language. One example at that time was a local singer and storyteller leading an active group activity in which children practised responding to instructions and playing together.

All staff have first aid and safeguarding training. The team includes a deputy manager with responsibility for the baby room, alongside practitioners working with preschool children and across babies and toddlers. These roles help families understand how responsibilities are organised; training arrangements are separate from the dated safeguarding judgement.

Sessions and Attendance

Fir Trees opens at 7.30am and closes at 5.30pm, and operates for 48 weeks each year. Bank holidays are closure days. Its attendance options allow families to choose different starting and finishing times rather than use one fixed day length.

Day Options can begin at 7.30am, 8am, 8.30am or 9am, finishing at 3pm, 4pm, 4.30pm, 5pm or 5.30pm. Morning Options have the same starting choices and finish at noon or 1pm. Afternoon options begin at noon or 1pm and use the same finishing choices as Day Options, subject to a minimum afternoon booking of 3 hours. That minimum matters when choosing a later start and an earlier finish.

Funding and Paid Extras

The 15/30 hour funding entitlement can be used between 8am and 4pm. Paid wrap-around care is offered before 8am and after 4pm, and hours beyond the funding entitlement are paid hours. This separates the funded window from the longer opening day: families using an early start or late collection need to account for that distinction.

Getting There

The address is Unit 5 Fir Trees Estate, 270 Hull Bridge Road, Beverley, HU17 9RT. Fir Trees is off the A1035 on the route from Beverley towards Tickton. General enquiries and child registration each have their own form, alongside telephone and email contact.

• Starting age. The current age range is 24 to 60 months, while Fir Trees also advertises entry from 9 months. Confirm the starting age that applies to your child before registering.
• Funding and attendance. Funding is usable from 8am to 4pm, while attendance can extend beyond that window. Request a written quotation for your chosen pattern, including how meals and consumables are treated.
• Choosing spaces. Children choose between several rooms and daily indoor and outdoor play. Use an arranged visit to discuss how a new child is supported through those choices and how the key-person relationship works during settling.

Fir Trees suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as longer day attendance, with the flexibility to choose from several start and finish times. Its clearest current features are daily indoor and outdoor choice and growing food for snacks. The November 2024 Outstanding judgement adds a strong dated assessment, while the age discrepancy deserves attention before joining. For parents who value children's independence and outdoor exploration, there is a concrete offer to weigh against their childcare pattern.