St John's Under 5's Pre-School

Storybooks become fruit tasting, puppet play and movement at St John's Under 5's Pre-School in Dewsbury. The practical character is clear: children explore ideas through things they can handle, grow, read and test, with frequent visits to the local park extending learning beyond the setting.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Outstanding on 28 September 2022. Children attending then were aged two to four; the setting has capacity for 40 children in total. The strongest inspection-era details concern carefully planned learning, relationships with key persons and support for children preparing to move on to school.

Morning, afternoon and full sessions run during term time. That gives families genuinely different attendance patterns, rather than a single day-long booking option.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS brings together children's learning, development and care, including communication, physical development, literacy and mathematics. Here, story activities show how those areas can connect: a book becomes a reason to listen, speak, move and investigate, rather than simply something read aloud.

Class 1 has explored The Very Hungry Caterpillar through retelling, small-world play and tasting fruits featured in the story. These activities give children several ways into the same book: remembering its sequence, experimenting with materials and encountering unfamiliar tastes. Activities with The Animal Boogie have included puppets, singing, dancing and printing, connecting animal characters with sounds and different movements.

World Book Day 2026 brought stories from home into both classes. Children read with their key person and could wear pyjamas or dress as a book character. The home connection matters: a familiar story becomes something a child can share with an adult and other children, while the costume choice allows different ways of taking part.

In September 2022, learning was shaped around children's interests, with parents contributing to assessment from the beginning. Children experimented outdoors by making a see-saw from materials of different sizes, testing it and adjusting their construction. That is a concrete example of learning through trial and revision: an idea has to work, and children can change it when it does not.

Outdoor and Community Life

Frequent local park visits give children opportunities to explore movement and manageable risks in a different setting. Planting activities in both classes have involved sowing seeds, watering them and watching flowers and vegetables develop. Growth becomes something children can observe over time, rather than an abstract topic.

Class 2's Library Trip 2026 involved parents as well as children. The group travelled by bus, looking at bus numbers, road signs and local landmarks along the way; families could enrol their children for library cards and borrow books to take home. The outing connected reading with a community service, while the journey supplied practical opportunities to notice numbers and letters.

Celebrations have included Eid, Easter, Christmas and Chinese New Year. These sit alongside everyday learning rather than replacing it. In September 2022, the outdoor play area also supported digging and climbing, while vegetable chopping and squeezing lemons gave children practice using tools and controlling smaller movements.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a direct point of contact for families. Parents can message either their key person or the office through a secure Dojo account, including when reporting an absence. Regular attendance is encouraged to help children maintain relationships and become familiar with session routines.

In September 2022, assessment began with a home visit, and staff built their understanding of each child over time. Home-learning materials were tailored to what children already knew, with parents contributing to the process. Workshops supplied further information and support for families. Together, these arrangements connected learning at home with learning in the setting.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and highlighted strong SEND support, including communication signs and the delivery of support plans from outside agencies. These are specific mechanisms rather than a general promise: signs helped children express their needs, and external advice was translated into support within the pre-school.

A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator role remains part of the provision. In September 2022, a well-being room offered a calm sensory space where a child could spend time with a supportive adult; stories and puppets also helped children explore emotions. The separate space gave children an alternative to staying within busy play when they needed help managing their feelings.

In September 2022, school transition arrangements included inviting teachers to meet children before their pre-school year ended, alongside meetings between key persons and receiving schools or settings to share information. The useful detail is continuity: adults could learn about a child before the move, rather than starting that conversation afterwards.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 125 Heckmondwike Road, Dewsbury, WF13 3NT. Attendance runs Monday to Friday during term time: morning sessions are 9am to noon, afternoons 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and full sessions 9am to 3.30pm.

An earlier start from 8.30am can be arranged with the key person at an additional charge. Lunch club runs from noon to 12.30pm and is also charged separately; children bring a healthy packed lunch. These arrangements matter when matching a session to the hours a family actually needs.

Absences must be reported on the first day and each subsequent day, by telephone, contact-page message or secure Dojo message. If a family does not report an absence, the setting contacts them for a reason. General enquiries can be made by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early learning and care is offered for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Earlier starts and lunch club are separate paid additions; families should obtain current prices in the pre-school's written quotation.

Snacks, milk and water carry no extra charge, with snack choices including yoghurt, fruit and houmous with breadsticks. Families provide a healthy packed lunch when their child stays for dinner.

Moving on to School

The pre-school describes a close working relationship with St John's CE (VC) Infant School. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The relationship is useful context for transition, rather than an admissions entitlement.

• Term-time sessions. Morning, afternoon and full sessions are offered on weekdays during term time. Families needing holiday childcare will need to plan around that attendance pattern.
• Lunch and earlier starts. Lunch club and starts from 8.30am attract separate charges, and lunch comes from home. Include these additions when comparing written quotations.
• Care arrangements for your child. At a visit, how would staff handle your child's dietary needs and agree responsibility for nappies or other personal consumables alongside the packed-lunch arrangement?
• School transition. The close link with St John's CE (VC) Infant School does not secure admission. Keep the local authority application separate from plans for pre-school attendance.

St John's suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those wanting a full term-time session. Story-based activities, frequent park visits and the parent-supported library outing give its day concrete character; the September 2022 Outstanding judgement adds a clear, dated quality reference.

The practical trade-off is term-time attendance, with packed lunches from home and separate charges for lunch club or an earlier start. For families whose timetable fits, the combination of different session patterns, key-person contact and hands-on learning makes a coherent offer.