Lees Hall Playgroup

An Islamic ethos gives Lees Hall Playgroup a clear identity: faith shapes its daily routines and learning, alongside an emphasis on play, good manners and relationships. Based at Lees Hall Community Centre in Dewsbury, it welcomes children aged two to five and has capacity for 48 children in total. For families choosing early education that fits their values, that combination is the starting point.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good overall and found that its planned learning supported children’s progress, while identifying improvements needed in early communication and the practical impact of staff training. Those findings give a useful balance: purposeful activities, with specific work needed on how adults support learning.

Morning and afternoon sessions offer two separate attendance patterns, with a supervised lunch club between them. The detail matters for families fitting preschool around the rest of their day.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children’s learning, covering language, movement, relationships, early number work and literacy, knowledge of the world and creative expression. Here, children learn through activities they can handle, explore and choose, with adults using observations to plan what comes next. The Islamic ethos sits alongside that framework and extends into everyday conduct.

The Toddler Program, for ages two to three, uses play to introduce early concepts while encouraging children to make choices, solve problems and interact with other children; support with toilet training follows each child’s stage. For ages three to five, Preschool combines collaborative projects with children’s own questions and interests, developing number work, literacy, science, creativity and emotional understanding. Sessions are organised so that children mainly spend time with others of a similar age.

A book corner gives children somewhere to read alone or share books with friends. Stories also feature in circle time, while a writing area and role play bring literacy into other activities. Songs accompany group time and changes between activities, and musical instruments extend the opportunities for creative play. This gives language several routes into the day rather than confining it to one activity.

In July 2022, an airport game included a vote on the pretend plane’s destination. Children could influence the story rather than simply follow an adult’s script. Learning with scissors also followed a sequence, moving from dough to cutting shapes for pictures: the task changed as children developed their handling skills.

Outdoor and Community Life

The playground sits immediately outside the building and has equipment intended for young children. Staff aim to include outdoor time each day, giving movement a place alongside indoor play.

In July 2022, children used hoops and footballs outdoors, with adults demonstrating physical games and encouraging turn-taking. Activities also connected model-making with the surrounding community: children made houses, looked for examples locally and compared different forms of housing. These were concrete ways to connect imaginative play with the world beyond the playgroup.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry, the online learning journal, provides material for end-of-term consultations with each child’s key person. Those meetings bring progress and examples of learning together, giving parents a regular opportunity to discuss their child rather than relying solely on brief collection conversations.

In July 2022, children indicated their feelings when signing in and could change that indication during the day. Staff also used familiar interests, including sand play, to help children settle. The value of these arrangements is practical: adults had ways to respond to how a child felt and to find an activity that helped them participate.

At that visit, the team comprised 10 staff members, including apprentices working towards early years qualifications. Current staff arrangements include supervision sessions, training and reflection on daily practice. These are mechanisms for supporting the team; the 2022 finding about putting training into practice remains an important point for discussion.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In July 2022, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and identified additional support and targeted learning for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a dated assessment of practice, rather than a promise about every child’s experience.

In July 2022, the indoor garden also served as a place where tired children could rest while an adult shared a story. Resources included number representations adapted for different ages and abilities. These details show how space and materials were used to accommodate different needs during that period.

All staff have paediatric first aid training. Minor injuries receive care and parents are told at collection; illness or a more serious injury prompts immediate contact with parents or guardians. That distinction sets out when families can expect an update and when they will be contacted straight away.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, while afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. The half-day model is useful for families seeking a defined block of early education, with separate patterns on either side of lunchtime.

In July 2022, opening hours were 8.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. This describes the arrangement at that date.

Afternoon collection is from the child’s classroom by an authorised adult. Parents must tell the playgroup about a new person collecting, who will need identification. The afternoon session finishes at 3pm, with prompt collection required.

Getting There

The address is Lees Hall Community Centre, 555 Lees Hall Road, Dewsbury, WF12 9EN. The contact team handles enquiries and tour bookings by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

The paid lunch club runs from 11.30am to noon, with staff supervising and helping children; families supply a packed lunch. Current prices come in the playgroup’s written quotation.

• Faith and family fit. The Islamic ethos shapes both learning and daily routines, including manners and etiquette. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how those practices fit your family’s expectations.
• Early communication. In July 2022, adult discussions were not consistently adapted for younger children or those with limited speech, and leaders needed to assess more carefully how training changed staff practice. Ask how these two areas are addressed now, especially if your child needs help expressing themselves.
• Attendance across the year. Morning and afternoon sessions are separate half-day patterns, while the July 2022 opening arrangement was term time only. Does the current calendar fit the childcare you need through the year?

Lees Hall Playgroup suits families seeking an Islamic ethos with play-based early education, whether they prefer morning attendance or afternoon sessions. Its book corner, outdoor play and parent consultations give that offer practical substance.

The July 2022 Good judgement provides a positive assessment of that period, balanced by concerns about adapting conversations and making training effective in daily practice. The strongest fit is for parents who value the faith-based character and half-day model, and want to discuss how communication support works for their child.