Esklets Pre-School

A walk-in sand pit, an outdoor workshop and passing trains give Esklets Pre-School a character rooted in its Danby surroundings. The garden and all-weather playground support learning outside, while children choose much of their own play. This is a small rural setting where construction, music, messy exploration and village walks have practical space in the day.

Esklets Pre-School's latest overall judgement is Good, dated June 2022. The current setting has capacity for 18 children and welcomes children from 18 months old. Its address is Station Yard, Danby, Whitby, YO21 2JL, within the North York Moors National Park.

Child-led learning is paired with individual observation weeks and small-group teaching as children grow older. Families contribute information about interests at home, receive photographs and observations, and can take part in the parent committee. Opening hours are 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday during school term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes the day through play, communication, physical development, relationships, mathematics and literacy. Esklets adds its planning in the moment approach: children select activities and resources, making their interests the starting point for practitioners to extend learning.

Focus Children provides an individual checkpoint once every few weeks, with extra time to observe a child's play and development. Parents receive a letter beforehand and contribute interests and home news; observations and photographs follow afterwards, linking home experiences with preschool learning.

Older children also take part in small-group activities led by adults. Phase 1 Phonics introduces listening, rhyme and initial sounds through games, while counting and early addition or subtraction are taught through songs and stories. Group stories and singing happen daily. Children who become interested in writing begin learning to form the letters of their name, allowing that next step to follow their readiness.

Classroom spaces support books, pretend play, construction, mark making and arts, with water and malleable materials for hands-on exploration. An indoor arts and sensory area complements the outdoor workshop for woodwork, painting and model-making.

The music station in the big shed provides freely accessible percussion instruments and a keyboard. Circle times bring children together for action songs, traditional rhymes and rhythm-making.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play takes place daily, whatever the weather. The garden and all-weather playground include playhouses, water resources, construction space and room to climb, run and ride bikes. The walk-in sand pit provides another substantial place for exploration. Waterproof trousers, wellies and hats are available for children to use, supporting outdoor participation across changing conditions.

Regular village walks connect preschool life with Danby. Past outings have included the local fire station, doctors surgery, chapel, National Park centre and Local Woodland, alongside train journeys. Parents are usually invited on outings, making these shared experiences as well as opportunities for children to encounter people and places beyond the setting.

Past visitors have included a vet, nurse, dental nurse, police officer, ponies and lambs. Alongside passing trains on the nearby line, these provide real subjects for conversation.

In June 2022, children explored quantities using flour, jugs and scales, and used a sand timer to organise turn-taking. Outdoor equipment included a trike track and a large sandpit used with toy diggers and tractors. These examples show how practical play supported both early concepts and everyday social negotiation at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Key workers exchange information with parents and keep them informed about their child's development. Alongside the Focus Children cycle, families can contribute photographs for the News from home board. This gives experiences away from preschool a place in the setting and provides staff with material that matters personally to each child.

Parents can discuss progress or concerns with staff, help during sessions or share skills such as baking, sewing and playing an instrument. They can contribute to children's experiences as well as receive updates.

In June 2022, flexible introductory sessions helped new children become familiar with staff and the setting. Staff also identified possible language delays and used children's interests to begin conversations. These are dated examples of settling and communication support, rather than a current booking promise.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and highlighted SEND support built around individual plans, dedicated adult help, relevant staff training and cooperation with other professionals. That finding matters because it described specific support arrangements, rather than a general statement of inclusion.

Current arrangements include a SENCO role and a safeguarding lead role. Staff training covers subjects including autism, sensory processing, deaf awareness and allergy awareness, with paediatric first aid training also represented in the team.

Once settled, children aged two to three have a progress check completed with parents. Its written summary covers development in the prime areas, strengths and any additional support needed, giving families a structured discussion of progress.

Self-care is part of the learning programme. Children practise dressing, toileting, handwashing and eating or drinking independently, with adults supporting sharing, waiting and expressing feelings. These everyday skills sit alongside early literacy and mathematics, helping children take a more active part in their own day.

Families provide a healthy packed lunch when children stay for lunch. Facilities on site allow staff to prepare snacks and bake with children.

Sessions and Attendance

Esklets opens from 8.30am to 4pm on weekdays during school term time. Enquiries can be made through an online message form, email or telephone.

Families supply a change of clothes and a suitable coat; nappies and wipes come from home when needed. A child-sized bag is requested because cloakroom space is small, and indoor shoes or slippers should accompany muddy boots or wellies.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded places and private paid hours are both offered. The funding information includes the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, covering 38 weeks from the term after a child's third birthday, and 30 hours for eligible working parents of children in that age group. Younger-child funding is also described as dependent on parental eligibility, while Esklets itself accepts children from 18 months.

Attendance is term time. Private places serve children who do not receive funding, and additional paid hours can extend attendance beyond a funded entitlement. Fees are reviewed annually; families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

For funded children, a separate consumables charge applies per half-day session. Families also bring nappies and wipes when required, so those home supplies and the funded-session charge are separate parts of the cost structure. Packed lunches are supplied by parents, including when attendance is funded.

Moving on to School

Esklets describes close links with local primary schools, whose staff regularly spend time at the setting to get to know children. It also works with children moving to other schools, and with local childminders and preschool settings. These connections support continuity for children as their arrangements change.

• Term-time routine. Opening hours are 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday in school terms. Families needing care across school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working pattern.
• Challenge during child-led play. In June 2022, teaching did not consistently extend the learning of children outside the group receiving particular attention. On a visit, ask how practitioners now challenge children throughout self-chosen activities.
• Learning beyond Danby. The June 2022 improvement priorities included broadening children's understanding of other cultures and life beyond their community. Ask how current stories, visitors and experiences develop that wider perspective alongside village outings.
• Funded-session costs. Funded children incur a consumables charge, while parents bring lunch, nappies and wipes as needed. For a funded booking, what does that charge cover alongside the supplies brought from home?

Esklets suits families seeking term-time preschool from 18 months, with daily outdoor play, child-led exploration and an active role for parents. Its garden, workshop and music station give those principles useful physical substance. Individual observation weeks add a clear route for sharing information about a child's development.

The June 2022 Good judgement is balanced by two practical teaching priorities: consistent challenge and a broader view of the world. Families comfortable with the term-time calendar and packed-lunch arrangement have a setting with a recognisable rural character, supported by both funded attendance and private paid hours.