Templegate Tiny Tots Pre School

Weekly Forest School opportunities give Templegate Tiny Tots Pre School a clear character. Its Templegate Foresters provision combines outdoor exploration with practical skills, while a classroom at the rear of Whitkirk Primary School and an enclosed outdoor play area provide the everyday base. This is preschool provision for children aged two to four, with capacity for 30 children in total.

At its 22 May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding, found safeguarding effective, and judged that ambitious learning experiences and individually targeted support helped children make excellent progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The useful detail beneath that judgement is a combination of purposeful play, careful observation and attention to language. Children have a key person, and families contribute to an online learning journal.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions give families different ways to use the preschool. The September-only intake is an important planning consideration.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS sets the standards for children's learning and care: here, staff observe play and use what they learn to plan next steps across communication, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, creative work and understanding the world. It is the common framework for early years provision. Templegate adds its own curriculum goals and practical experiences alongside it.

The curriculum page connects Independence, Community, Rhyming, Story Teller, Master of 5, Life Cycles and Favourite Artist with progression and half-term planning. Staff combine planned topics with children's self-chosen play.

Speech and language receive explicit attention, recognised by a Communication Friendly Setting Award. All staff have training in the subject, with most holding Level 2 or 3 qualifications, supporting this emphasis in children's day.

Past activities show how topics can become physical, imaginative and social experiences. In July 2024, Space Cadets involved astronaut role play and movements such as star jumps and squats. The space theme also included the Querks, pretend alien visitors that children could take home to care for; in June 2024, children made their return rocket from recycled boxes. Counting and imaginative play were part of the same activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Templegate Foresters is the setting's Forest School provision, combining learning outdoors with shelter building, basic tools, seasonal observation and caring for the natural world. Every child has the opportunity to visit the Forest School area at least weekly. Groups remain small and consistent, so the outdoor experience has continuity as well as variety.

Local woodland visits take place at least once each half term. Forest School runs in all weathers and seasons: children need layers, wellies and waterproofs, with spare waterproof clothing provided.

The RSPB Bird Watch activity brought together bird feeders made with pine cones, nest construction using twigs and moss, and tally charts for spotting birds. It is a useful example of nature study crossing into making and early mathematics. Children handle materials, observe their surroundings and record what they notice.

Visitors have extended classroom topics: in July 2024, Leeds City College brought animals from Temple Newsam for children to learn about their food, movement and cooling. Theatre company M and M performed Alice in Wonderland during a May 2024 visit.

Relationships and Communication

A key person supports each child's learning and acts as the family's main contact, with another staff member identified to provide cover. Settling can include a parent or carer staying until the child is ready to remain independently, and a familiar comforter can accompany them initially. The arrangement recognises that children need different amounts of time to adjust.

Tapestry, the online learning journal, holds observations, photographs and weekly updates with next steps for home. Families can contribute pictures and comments, helping staff connect preschool learning with children's interests elsewhere.

The preschool is managed by a voluntary committee made up mainly of parents. Families can become involved through fundraising or committee work, giving them another route to contribute to the setting's life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for additional needs has a defined process. A Special Educational Needs Coordinator works with the key person and parents on SEN Support Plans, with targets reviewed together. Advice from the Area SENco can be sought with parental permission, and information from health professionals contributes to planning. The setting has worked with Speech & Language Therapists, the STARS team for autism support and the Child Development Centre.

Physical arrangements include ramp access, an accessible toilet on the ground floor and a quiet sensory room for individual or small-group work. Activities are adapted to children's developmental stages and needs, and specialist resources can be incorporated where appropriate. These mechanisms give families something specific to discuss for their child, rather than relying on a broad statement about inclusion.

Current arrangements include safeguarding lead roles and paediatric first aid training for all staff. Medical needs can be addressed through a Care Plan developed with parents and relevant professionals, while behaviour plans can set out agreed support and be reviewed with families.

Moving to school is treated as a process. Receiving staff can observe children and discuss their needs, and support plans and assessment information can be shared. Photo books, uniform role play and practice with lunch routines help make the next setting more familiar. In June 2024, older children also visited classrooms, outdoor areas and a library, and ate lunch in a school hall.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Whitkirk Primary School, Templegate Walk, Leeds, LS15 0EU. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from 12.30pm to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm.

The durable admissions rule is a September intake each year, with families advised to add their child's name to the waiting list early. General enquiries can be made on 0794 989 3076 or by email to templegatetots@yahoo.co.uk. In May 2024, opening was during term time only; families planning attendance around work should keep that dated pattern in mind.

Being based at Whitkirk Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Familiarisation activities prepare children for school routines; they do not confer an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both funded and privately paid places are offered. The funding offer includes 15 hours for children over three, funding for eligible two-year-olds and 30 hour free childcare funding. The latter requires parents to apply for a voucher. Funding eligibility remains conditional, so the attendance choice and the entitlement need to be considered together.

The fees and admission page sets out the session options and funding arrangements. Families should obtain current prices in a written quotation. For children staying for lunch, parents provide a healthy packed lunch, stored in the preschool's fridge; the setting also has a nut-free policy.

Parents supply nappies or trainer pants and baby wipes where needed, and apply sun cream before attendance in summer. Spare clothes are part of the preparation for messy and outdoor play. These are practical responsibilities to build into the daily routine.

• September entry. The preschool's only annual intake is September, and it operates a waiting list. When arranging a visit, discuss how that entry point fits your child's intended start.
• Attendance and funding. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns have different windows, while term-time opening was recorded in May 2024. Use a visit to establish the calendar and funded-hours arrangement for your proposed attendance.
• Outdoor clothing and packed lunches. Weekly Forest School opportunities require weather-ready clothing, and families provide lunch for children staying to eat. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice under the nut-free policy.
• Individual support. SEN Support Plans, a sensory room and professional liaison provide concrete routes for additional help. Discuss how these would be used for your child's needs during a visit.

Templegate Tiny Tots suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those choosing a full day, with regular outdoor learning and active parent communication. Templegate Foresters provides a clear practical addition to the curriculum, while the key-person arrangement and SEN planning give care a defined structure.

The Outstanding judgement from May 2024 adds weight to the offer. Families need to fit the September intake and session windows, and prepare packed lunches and outdoor kit.