Live Wires Club

Weekly woodland sessions give Live Wires Club a recognisable character: nursery learning extends beyond its Easingwold base to the woods at BusyBodies Private Day Nursery in Raskelf. Back at the nursery, a purpose-built Baby Unit has its own sleep room and kitchen, while older children can move between indoor play and an enclosed outdoor area. These are practical differences for families weighing both the baby years and the more adventurous preschool stage.

At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found that children made strong progress in speech and language from their starting points. Two improvement priorities accompanied that judgement: more learning opportunities for older babies and stronger support for older children's developing literacy.

The setting has capacity for 44 children in total and combines nursery care with before-school, after-school and holiday provision on the grounds of Easingwold Community Primary School. Full days and two half-day patterns give families different ways to organise attendance.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit caters for children aged 0 to 2, combining child-initiated play with a purpose-built space containing a sleep room, kitchen and access to outdoor play. Sleep therefore has a room of its own, rather than sharing the main activity space. The unit is on one level and has an accessible toilet; its children use the enclosed play area beside the nursery building.

Nursery & Pre-School serves children aged 2 to 5, with learning organised around communication, emotional and social development, movement, literacy, maths, understanding the world and creative expression. The nursery and out-of-school building is also on one level. A rear ramp connects it to outdoor play, giving children an accessible route between the two spaces.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework shapes the day through play and activities that develop language, relationships, physical skills, early reading and number understanding. Children choose activities, with staff planning around their interests. This gives families a useful picture of the educational approach: children's choices influence what they do, within a framework covering several connected areas of development.

In December 2022, stories, singing and smaller-group activities were used to support communication. Baking provided opportunities to introduce vocabulary through handling equipment and ingredients. Outdoor construction also brought maths into play: children compared differently sized wooden pieces and worked out how to assemble them. Learning was embedded in things children could handle and discuss.

Later nursery activities show how a story can carry several kinds of learning. In November 2024, The Gingerbread Man prompted biscuit-making and a small-world retelling, connecting counting, practical movement and conversation. A December 2024 woodland session took the same story outside, with children joining a chase and repeating its refrain. These are dated examples of linking books with active play, rather than treating literacy as an isolated table activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds learning in a woodland setting, including exploration, natural materials and practical activities. Nursery and preschool children go to the woods at BusyBodies Private Day Nursery in Raskelf every week during term time. The frequency matters: this is a recurring part of attendance, giving children repeated opportunities to return to an outdoor setting.

In February 2026, woodland activities included clay faces, the mud kitchen and balancing beams. Children also searched for Oscar the Owl, Felix the Fox and Cyril the Squirrel. Named woodland characters give imaginative play a thread alongside the physical activities; the mud kitchen and beams provide different ways to use the space.

Nature study also happens at the nursery. In June 2025, children watched chicks develop in a garden nest box and observed tadpoles brought into the setting. Raskelf Rare and Heritage Breeds Farm supplied an incubator and Marsh Daisy chicken eggs that year, allowing children to follow hatching directly. These experiences give discussions about life cycles something concrete to refer to.

Visitors widen that experience. A March 2026 visit from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service introduced firefighting equipment, protective clothing and a demonstration of a smoke detector. In August 2025, North Yorkshire Rotters explored food waste, composting and recycling through activities including a pedal-powered smoothie maker. Both visits connected unfamiliar adult roles with objects and activities children could investigate.

Relationships and Communication

Each child within the EYFS has a keyworker, and learning journals are shared and discussed with parents regularly. That creates a named role for following development and a continuing way for families to contribute to conversations about their child. It is more useful than relying only on occasional updates.

In December 2022, staff knew about children's family lives and used that knowledge when meeting individual care needs. Babies' routines reflected parents' wishes, including close attention during bottle feeds. Adults also helped children work through difficult feelings with comfort and quiet conversation. These observations describe the care at that time, including the connection between home routines and nursery practice.

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding arrangements effective, including staff knowledge of reporting concerns, procedures for allegations and safer recruitment. In that month, the team comprised 14 childcare staff, of whom 10 held early-years qualifications at level 3 or above; staff development included safer-sleeping awareness for those working with young babies.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support for children with SEND has a defined process. The SENCO and keyworker plan with parents and involved professionals, using an ILPP (Individual Learning & Provision Plan) when additional support is needed. Plans are reviewed and adjusted with families, and referrals can be sought for further support or funding from Local Authority Inclusion Officers and Early Years Advisory Teachers.

Parents are involved in decisions about SEND support, and information is shared only with their consent. The building arrangements matter here too: the nursery has a rear access ramp and an accessible toilet with an alarm system, while the Baby Unit has its own accessible toilet. Families can consider both the support process and the physical route through the setting.

Children can bring a packed lunch or have a purchased hot lunch from Easingwold Primary School, alongside daily snack choices such as fruit, vegetables and yoghurt. This gives families a choice between lunch from home and a school-kitchen meal.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Easingwold Community Primary School, Thirsk Road, Easingwold, York, YO61 3HJ. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year. Nursery enquiries can be made through the place-enquiry form or by telephone on 07791 051881.

For both the Baby & Toddler Room and nursery age bands, a Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Half Day bookings run from 7.30am to 1pm or from 1pm to 6pm. The choice is therefore between a complete day and either part of it, rather than simply different collection times within one booking pattern.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 8.30am, and After School Club from 3.20pm to 6pm. Holiday Club has the same full-day and half-day windows as nursery care and welcomes children from other schools and settings. Its activities have access to a large playing field, fitness trail and playground, and include an annual Christmas pantomime trip. These are useful distinctions for families considering care beyond the preschool years.

Getting There

The nursery occupies purpose-built buildings within the primary school's grounds, with steps at the nursery's front entrance and ramp access at the rear. A transport service operates to and from Husthwaite and Crayke Schools.

Sharing the school site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The convenience of the location and the school admissions decision are separate considerations.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for all 3- and 4-year-olds, eligible 2-year-olds and the 30 hours extended entitlement. There is flexibility in using funded hours. Private childcare is also offered, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the session and fees page explains the booking and charge structure.

Meals are included in fees except for separately charged hot lunches during term time, which are freshly prepared by Easingwold CP School kitchen; families choosing a packed lunch provide it themselves. Nursery activities and consumables carry no additional charges, while off-site holiday activities may attract extra charges. Late collection after 6pm also incurs an additional charge.

• Older babies' learning. In December 2022, staff did not always have enough time to extend older babies' learning before their move to the main room. At a visit, ask how play and learning now develop as babies approach that transition.
• Early literacy. Developing older children's literacy was the other December 2022 improvement priority. The later Gingerbread Man activities show books being used in practical play; ask how that connects with the current support for early reading and writing.
• Access between spaces. The nursery has front steps and a rear ramp, while babies use the enclosed outdoor area beside the nursery building. A visit can help families assess those routes against their child's mobility and care needs.
• Funded attendance pattern. Flexible funded hours sit alongside full-day and half-day bookings. Ask how the entitlement would fit the chosen pattern and whether it would run during term time or across the year.

Live Wires Club suits families seeking either full-day nursery care or morning and afternoon half-day attendance, with school-age clubs providing further continuity. Its most persuasive practical features are the Baby Unit's separate sleep space, regular term-time woodland sessions and a clear process for planning additional support with parents.

The Good judgement dates to December 2022, and the improvement priorities deserve attention alongside the appealing activities. For families who value outdoor learning and a nursery based on a primary-school site, this is a setting with several concrete reasons to consider it. The choice should turn on how its present baby-learning and literacy provision meets the child's stage.