Wellhouse Pre-School

A Wild Garden, free-flow playground access and play in all weathers give Wellhouse Pre-School a clear outdoor character. Based on Wellhouse Lane in Mirfield, it has 26 places in total. The emphasis is on children exploring, getting muddy and learning through play, with parents invited to take part rather than simply receive updates.

Ofsted rated the pre-school Good at its September 2022 inspection. Its strengths included relationships with key people and activities that encouraged conversation and persistence; the improvement priorities were staff development and children's independence in everyday routines.

Morning and afternoon sessions run during term time, with a Lunch Club between them. This is a sessional offer with a school-day opening window, rather than an early-start or evening childcare arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the shared early-years framework: activities support children's learning and development, while planning and assessment respond to what each child needs next. At Wellhouse, termly plans are displayed on a board in the main room and on the parent/carer notice board in the foyer. That gives families concrete activities to discuss and extend at home.

In September 2022, language learning was woven into practical play. Children experimented with bricks of different sizes while building a garden wall, and adults added vocabulary and asked questions that encouraged them to think ahead. The task gave conversation a purpose: children had something to explain, change and try again.

That September, younger children also practised cutting paper with scissors, continuing when their first attempts were difficult. Group singing paired clear words with actions, while pictures of homes and family members prompted discussion about children's different households. These examples show the breadth of the day at that time: physical skills, language and personal experience worked together through play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor provision has three parts: the playground, the Wild Garden and access to the school field. Children can move freely into the playground, while the other spaces extend the places they can explore. Outdoor play continues in all weathers, so wellies and warm clothes are practical essentials, and clothing needs to tolerate mud.

In September 2022, a balance beam gave children a physical challenge outdoors. They used their arms and feet to steady themselves as they crossed it. Alongside the garden construction activity, this illustrates how outdoor equipment supported both movement and problem-solving at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Key-person relationships organise the connection between home and pre-school. Parents can discuss their child's development with that member of staff, and the planning notices offer suggestions for continuing activities together at home.

Stay & Play lets parents and carers join their child's play and remain for as long as they wish. It offers a direct way to understand how a child uses the setting's activities and to share that experience with them.

In September 2022, children used their key person as a familiar point of contact throughout the day. A sensory area supported younger children during settling, and an online app kept families informed about learning. Those observations describe the arrangements at that date, rather than replacing the current opportunities for conversation and participation.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported, with the coordinator working with professionals, making timely referrals and helping children move to their next setting. The practical significance was support that connected the pre-school with outside expertise, rather than leaving families to manage those links alone.

Current first-aid arrangements include two staff with paediatric first-aid training at each session. The September 2022 improvement priorities nevertheless deserve attention: professional learning needed a clearer emphasis, and children capable of doing routine tasks themselves were not consistently given the opportunity. Snack time supplied a concrete example, with adults doing tasks that children could have attempted.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Wellhouse Lane, Mirfield, WF14 0BE. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 3.15pm, during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions run from 12.45pm to 3.15pm. Lunch Club occupies the interval from 11.45am to 12.45pm.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. The distinction between the opening window and the individual sessions matters when matching childcare to a family's daily routine.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes up to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds, depending on eligibility, and 15 hours for two-year-olds, subject to status. Attendance is term-time only. Families should read those eligibility conditions alongside the session timetable: the entitlement and the daily pattern answer different questions.

• Everyday independence. September 2022 brought a request for more consistent opportunities for children to manage routine tasks. During a visit, ask how children now take responsibility at snack time and elsewhere in the day.
• Staff development. Training was another September 2022 improvement priority. Ask how professional learning now translates into the activities and support children receive.
• Outdoor clothing. All-weather play includes the Wild Garden and playground. Warm layers, wellies and clothes that can get muddy belong in the practical planning for attendance.

Wellhouse suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions during term time, with outdoor play an important part of the experience. The Wild Garden and Stay & Play give that offer substance: children have several spaces to explore, and parents can participate in their play.

The September 2022 Good judgement sits alongside specific improvement priorities. For families considering the setting, the most useful questions concern how staff development and everyday independence have progressed, while the session timetable determines whether the practical fit works.