Thorngumbald Preschool

A book borrowed each week, a garden and an outdoor classroom give Thorngumbald Preschool a recognisable character: play, growing independence and learning that parents can share at home. This committee-run charity serves children from 18 months to four years and has 37 places in total. Its latest Ofsted inspection, on 9 July 2021, rated it Good.

The practical fit is term-time attendance. Opening hours run from 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, with term dates aligned to Thorngumbald Primary School. For families whose childcare needs follow the school calendar, that alignment is useful; holiday cover needs separate planning.

Learning and Activities

Independence gives the curriculum its direction. Children are encouraged to explain their needs, seek help, try unfamiliar experiences and develop their own ideas. Planned activities sit alongside play led by children, giving adults a way to introduce learning while leaving space for children's interests.

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the educational framework: learning includes communication, physical development and relationships, rather than being confined to preparation for formal lessons. Here, the emphasis also includes self-care, healthy choices, thinking and solving problems. These are practical foundations for children learning to manage themselves and participate in a group.

A weekly library session connects preschool learning with family life. Children select a book to borrow, then discuss the story when they return it the following week. The routine gives them something specific to talk about, while parents have a shared story to enjoy at home. Choosing the book is part of the experience too.

The curriculum also encourages children to listen to instructions and remember what has happened. Alongside expressing needs and asking for help, this gives communication a practical purpose: children practise both explaining themselves and responding to others. Respectful relationships and confidence are explicit aims. For parents, those priorities put everyday participation alongside learning through play, with attention to how children relate to each other as well as what they choose to do.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Main Hall, The Outdoor Classroom and The Garden are the named spaces. Outdoor play has a place in the preschool's approach to learning, alongside the indoor environment. This makes the setting relevant to families who value opportunities to learn outside as well as through indoor activities.

Community participation also supports the preschool itself. Fundraising takes place during the year to supplement income for resources and equipment; the preschool also applies for grants and charitable funds. Its charity and committee structure makes this a setting with a practical connection between family involvement and the provision children use.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, provides a two-way connection between home and preschool. Staff record children's experiences during the week; parents can contribute experiences from home. That exchange gives conversations about learning a concrete starting point, rather than leaving them dependent on a general account of the day.

For children aged 24–36 months, the Two-Year Check brings together observations of communication, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The key worker completes it using everyday observations, with contributions from parents and other professionals. It is a defined opportunity to consider development together.

The check connects the key worker's observations with the family's perspective and contributions from other professionals. Parents therefore have a role in the developmental summary, beyond receiving it. Its three areas keep the conversation centred on how a child communicates, develops physically and manages personal and social experiences. Tapestry serves a different purpose: sharing what happens through the week. Together, these arrangements give families both an ongoing exchange about experiences and a specific point for discussing development.

Support roles include a SENCo, an assistant SENCo and a safeguarding lead. The team also includes keyworkers and staff with paediatric first aid training. These are identifiable responsibilities within the team; the preschool's approach to individual needs includes working with parents, carers and outside agencies.

Sessions and Attendance

The preschool opens during term time, Monday to Friday, from 8.30am until 3.30pm. Its calendar follows Thorngumbald Primary School's term dates. These hours give families a clear boundary for planning work and care, with the afternoon closing time an important part of the decision.

Getting There

The address is Village Hall, Main Road, Thorngumbald, Hull, HU12 9NG. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07745081096 or by email to thorngumbaldpreschool@gmail.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

The preschool accepts 30-hour government funding for eligible children in the nine-month, two-year, three-year and four-year categories. Funded entitlement and the preschool's starting age are separate considerations: its childcare offer begins at 18 months. Families can also attend without qualifying for government funding.

Private childcare is charged by the hour, with invoices usually issued half-termly. Two weeks of holiday each year can be taken without payment; other absences are charged. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation, and the opening hours and fees page explains the payment structure.

• Term-time calendar. Opening follows Thorngumbald Primary School's terms, with a 3.30pm finish. Families needing care through school holidays or later afternoons should account for that boundary.
• Absence charges. The payment-free holiday allowance is two weeks per year; other absences are charged. This matters when budgeting for time away during term.
• Starting arrangements and costs. At a visit, how would settling work for an 18-month-old, and what would the written quotation include for food and everyday consumables?

Thorngumbald Preschool suits families seeking term-time preschool care with an emphasis on independence, outdoor learning and shared reading. The weekly library routine and Tapestry journal give parents specific ways to participate. Its school-calendar opening pattern and absence terms deserve equal weight alongside those educational details when deciding whether it fits family life.