The Old School House Day Nursery

An edible garden, a Gruffalo Den and projects that follow children’s questions give The Old School House Day Nursery in Sancton a clear character. Nature is part of the learning, rather than simply a backdrop for play. Children can grow vegetables, investigate seasonal changes and turn their discoveries into longer projects, with families contributing ideas along the way.

At its 6 October 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found safeguarding effective, with strong teaching, close relationships and substantial support for children’s independence. That judgement is dated. The current offer combines inspiration from the Reggio Emilia Approach, which here means developing learning around children’s interests, with outdoor experiences and rooms organised by developmental stage.

The nursery accepts children from three months to five years. Its attendance options include an enhanced nursery day and shorter, fully funded term-time sessions, making the package choice as important as the educational approach.

Rooms and Ages

The Nest, for six to 22 months, combines natural daylight and open space with sensory play and singing, with routines adapted to individual babies.

The Bumble Bees, for 22 months to three years, has spaces for pretend play, building, mark-making, water and sand exploration. Staff develop children’s ideas through projects, allowing their questions to shape the learning.

The Ladybirds, from three years to school age, connects communication, mathematical thinking and creative design through interest-led projects. Weekly staff discussions help extend these investigations while children remain interested.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning and development through play, including children’s communication, physical development and growing independence. The nursery’s Reggio Emilia Approach sits alongside it: children’s questions help shape projects, adults extend their thinking, and their discoveries are documented so that the learning can be revisited.

An interest in birds might lead to books, listening outdoors or building a bird house from collected materials. Photographs, notes and parents’ contributions connect the investigation across nursery and home. Projects can last days, weeks or months.

Languages, science, yoga and music add specialist experiences to this project work. Bike Week and Rugby Week introduce themed activity weeks, while excursions include fruit picking and visits to a pumpkin patch. These are additions to the nursery day, with the enhanced package determining access to its enrichments.

In October 2021, children explored texture while painting pumpkins, and adults used questions that invited fuller answers from older children. The same month, children drew plans for a model farm, built it together and repurposed everyday objects within their construction. These examples show how conversation, planning and imaginative problem-solving can share one activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor Explorers is a nature-based programme using planned projects and an Outdoor Explorer Classroom. The edible garden and herb garden give children living things to tend, while an apple tree provides opportunities to press juice, make prints and prepare food. This connects growing, making and eating in a tangible way.

Nature Walks take place weekly in the surrounding community. Woodland Sessions run throughout the year in a Sancton woodland site and the nursery garden, with activities including shelter building, searching for small creatures and making mud sculptures. Children experience seasonal changes directly. Suitable clothing matters because outdoor learning continues across the weather.

Preschool children can participate in the Beach School Programme, included among the nursery’s excursions. Community involvement also includes an annual Open Day and Singing to Sancton at Christmas, linking nursery life with the village. In October 2021, children delivered drawings and harvest gifts to residents, and local people took part in activities and seasonal celebrations. That was community participation children could understand through their own actions.

Relationships and Communication

Two pre-visits are recommended, with more possible when needed. Parents meet their child’s key person and share routines and preferences, helping staff build familiarity gradually. Babies’ family routines can be accommodated during settling.

Family photographs and children’s own coat pegs give the room familiar reference points. Photographs and messages through the nursery app help parents follow their child’s day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Room leadership includes a SENCO role for discussion about additional needs, alongside preschool leadership and room-manager roles.

In October 2021, managers used staff supervision, observations between colleagues and team training to develop practice. Children also took part in checking outdoor spaces for hazards, learning to notice risks themselves. Independence was practised in ordinary routines: older children helped prepare lunch tables, while toddlers learnt safe ways to handle cutlery.

A nursery chef prepares seasonal food, and meals and snacks belong to the enhanced package. The allergy policy uses risk assessments and diet plans, with red plates identifying meals for children with diagnosed dietary conditions; it also requires families to supply food temporarily while arrangements are completed, an important detail alongside the general packed-lunch restriction.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old School House, King Street, Sancton, York, YO43 4QP. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. For the enhanced year-round option, the Nursery Day runs from 8am to 5pm, with Early Bird attendance from 7.30am to 8am and a Late Hour from 5pm to 6pm.

The fully funded term-time option has morning sessions from 9am to 11.30am and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 3.30pm. These sessions exclude the enhancements and enrichments attached to the year-round package. They are a different attendance model, rather than the nursery day with a smaller bill.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01430 828154. Bookings can be made up to a year ahead. For fully funded term-time places, the reservation rule is four weeks before the new term, with no registration charge. The distinction matters when planning a start date: the two packages have different booking arrangements as well as different hours.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is accepted for eligible children aged nine months and above. The year-round offer stretches entitlement, with up to 22 funded hours weekly for eligible families, and 11 hours for some two-year-olds whose parents claim certain benefits, and up to 11 hours for all three- and four-year-olds. Fully funded term-time sessions provide a separate alternative. Eligibility determines which entitlement applies.

Under the enhanced funded option, hours beyond the funded allowance are paid privately and a daily enhancement charge is separate from the funded childcare. That package includes meals and snacks, bottle-feed milk, toiletries, sun cream, personal-care items and the nursery app, together with activities such as Outdoor Explorers and Beach School. Meals and non-food consumables therefore sit within the separately charged enhancement package, rather than the funded hours themselves; temporary parent-supplied allergy food is an exception to the usual meal arrangement.

Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. The childcare packages page sets out the package structure. Funding changes are tied to termly headcount arrangements, so the timing of a start or an increase in funded sessions can affect whether those sessions are privately charged until the next term.

• Package choice. The year-round enhanced day and fully funded term-time sessions differ in hours and included experiences. At a tour, discuss which package matches your intended attendance and how its charges are itemised in the quotation.
• Your baby’s starting room. The accepted age range begins at three months, while The Nest’s age band starts at six months. Ask how care and settling would be organised for a younger baby, and how the move into The Bumble Bees is decided.
• Allergy arrangements. The general packed-lunch restriction sits alongside temporary parent-supplied food during allergy planning. Confirm the current procedure for your child, including menu agreement and when the nursery takes over food preparation.
• Outdoor participation. Weekly Nature Walks and year-round Woodland Sessions make clothing and outdoor routines practical considerations. Discuss how your child would participate across seasons and which experiences belong to your chosen package.

The strongest reason to choose The Old School House is the connection between children’s interests, sustained projects and outdoor learning. The gardens and nature programme give that approach substance. Family contributions and visible documentation also make the learning easier for parents to follow.

It suits families seeking either an enhanced nursery day with early or late extensions, or shorter fully funded morning and afternoon sessions during term time. Those are materially different offers. The decision rests on matching the package to family routines, with particular attention to baby settling and any dietary arrangements.