Aiskew Under Fives Preschool

An allotment, visits to care-home residents and a parent-led committee give Aiskew Under Fives Preschool a clear community character. Based at The Scout Hut in Bedale, it combines indoor play with opportunities to grow vegetables and explore the local high street. Parents can help shape how it runs, rather than simply receive updates about their children.

Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding on 7 October 2022, finding that children made substantial progress and were ready for their next stage of learning. That is a dated judgement, but the detail behind it is useful: language teaching, purposeful play and individual support were central to the assessment. The setting has 24 places in total. Its current opening hours are term-time weekdays, from 9am to 3pm, with full-day and half-day booking patterns.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and adult interaction help children develop communication, understanding and practical skills. Here, children choose their own play as well as take part in activities guided by adults. Indoor and outdoor play both feature, so learning is not confined to a table or a single type of activity.

In October 2022, staff used a vocabulary tree to collect words children had encountered, including language prompted by a birthday invitation. The What's in the box game gave group sessions a purpose: practising language used for instructions. These examples show how an ordinary conversation or a game could become a deliberate opportunity to extend what children could say and understand.

Mathematics also ran through play in October 2022. Staff joined children in the home corner and used questions to explore numbers and measurement. Older children helped younger ones join their games by modelling language. The useful distinction is the adult role: staff participated in play and developed it, rather than leaving all learning to happen by chance.

Outdoor and Community Life

The allotment provides something tangible to follow over time. Children dig, plant and grow vegetables, connecting outdoor activity with changes they can observe. It offers a different pace from an indoor game: growing involves returning to something and noticing what has happened.

In October 2022, allotment experiences included watching a pigeon chick, examining minibeasts and seeing tomatoes deteriorate. These were concrete starting points for thinking about living things and growing cycles. A recycling project also connected children's lunches with decisions about waste, giving environmental responsibility a practical expression.

Community contact extends beyond the preschool. Children visit residents at a local care home and explore shops on the high street. In October 2022, library visits formed another part of that experience. These outings broaden the people and places children encounter, while the care-home link gives contact between generations a place in preschool life.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2022, key persons used information from families to plan around children's existing abilities and individual needs. Children were settled with these familiar adults. This gave the relationship a practical purpose: information from home influenced what happened during the preschool day.

Emotions were part of the daily routine in October 2022. Children indicated how they felt and spent time with their key person; group conversations introduced words for different feelings. Naming an emotion gives a child something more useful than being told simply to behave, and offers adults a starting point for conversation.

Learning Journey is the preschool's approach to sharing children's experiences and learning with families. Parents receive updates about what their children are learning and can discuss progress with staff. Alongside this communication, the parent-led committee gives families a route into decisions about the setting itself.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and SEND provision highly effective, with activities broken into manageable steps, individual learning plans and referrals for specialist help. Those mechanisms matter more than a broad promise of inclusion: support was organised around what a child needed to participate and learn.

In October 2022, staff also offered snack platters for children to try different foods and discussed diet during snack time. A food bank supported families. These were practical forms of support, linking conversations with children to help for households.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Scout Hut, Emgate, Bedale, DL8 1AH. Opening hours run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Full-day and half-day sessions are separate booking options; early starts and extra hours are also offered as paid additions. The term-time calendar is an important distinction for families planning care around work throughout the year.

Holiday Club is a separate summer offer, with free play, games and activities for children aged two to eight. It runs for three weeks in August. That provides a defined period of summer provision rather than a replacement for the preschool's term-time calendar. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07742 670825 or by email to aiskewunderfives@gmail.com; holiday-club bookings use the email address.

Funding and Paid Extras

The preschool accepts government funding for two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds, including 15 hours universal and 30 hours expanded. It also participates in Tax free Child care. Funded provision sits alongside paid sessions and additional hours; families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen arrangement.

Parent Participation

The committee meets at least three times a year and holds an Annual General Meeting. Members volunteer their time, and fundraising helps pay for equipment and special events. Recurring events include the Christmas raffle and Easter toddle. For parents who want involvement beyond progress conversations, this is a concrete opportunity to influence the preschool and support its resources.

• Term-time planning. The preschool opens on weekdays from 9am to 3pm during term time, while Holiday Club covers three weeks in August. Families needing care across school breaks should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Choosing a session. Full-day and half-day options sit alongside early starts and extra hours. At a visit, ask how the preferred booking combines with funded hours, and request a written breakdown covering food and non-food consumables.
• Parent involvement. The voluntary committee supports the running of the setting, and fundraising pays for equipment and events. Consider whether contributing to committee work or activities such as the Easter toddle would suit your family's time and interests.

Aiskew Under Fives Preschool suits families seeking either full-day or half-day preschool attendance within a term-time routine, especially those who value community outings and opportunities to take part in the setting's decisions. The allotment and care-home visits give that community emphasis substance. Its Outstanding judgement dates to October 2022; the strongest reasons to consider it are the specific learning and support practices behind that assessment, together with the practical shape of today's offer.