LiveWires Pre-School

Animal footprints, insect hunts and cake-making gave learning a practical shape at LiveWires Pre-School in March 2023. This Easingwold setting has 20 places in total. Its premises are The Old School Room at Methodist Church on Chapel Street, YO61 3AE. Its identity is that of the Chapel Street preschool.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 29 March 2023, when the children attending were aged two to four. The most useful detail beneath that judgement is the connection between conversation and hands-on activity: children had reasons to compare, count and explain what they were doing.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing these together through play and everyday routines. In March 2023, an exploration of eggs moved from chickens to other egg-laying animals and dinosaurs, then returned to eggs as ingredients in baking. That gave children opportunities to connect new ideas with something they already understood.

Outdoor activity carried much of the learning that March. Children compared animal tracks, investigated small creatures and measured ingredients for cakes cooked in orange peel. A trampoline brought movement and counting together. These were concrete ways to practise mathematical ideas alongside physical activity, rather than treating the two as separate parts of the day.

Speech also received deliberate attention in March 2023. Staff observed children's pronunciation and chose songs that practised particular sounds. However, some opportunities to correct speech were missed, and lunchtime preparation did not consistently encourage children to do more for themselves. Language support and independence were the areas requiring closer monitoring.

In December 2024, Secret Santa gave children a chance to choose a gift for a family member, wrap it and attach a label. Giving became a practical activity they could carry out themselves.

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff working with families and other agencies to respond to children's individual needs. Knowing families helped staff recognise changing needs and arrange early help.

Relationships had a practical role in March 2023: staff noticed changes in children because they knew them well. Younger children received adult help to take part in group activities, with participation adjusted to what they could manage. The setting employed four staff at that time; that figure describes the team then, rather than the number supporting any particular group today.

The preschool's address is The Old School Room, Methodist Church, Chapel Street, Easingwold, YO61 3AE.

In March 2023, it operated throughout the year on weekdays, with hours of 7.30am to 6pm. It also provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. These are dated operating arrangements, useful context when considering how preschool care could fit around family routines.

• Language and independence. The March 2023 improvement priority concerned missed speech corrections and opportunities for children to manage lunchtime tasks themselves. During a visit, ask how staff now build these opportunities into ordinary routines.
• The Chapel Street setting. This review concerns the preschool at The Old School Room. When arranging a visit, confirm that it is this setting, and ask which ages and attendance patterns it currently serves.

LiveWires Pre-School suits families looking for practical, play-based preschool learning, with outdoor exploration and conversation prominent in its March 2023 account. The Good judgement provides a dated quality assessment; the language and independence priorities give parents a clear point to explore. Its strongest appeal is the way ordinary activities became opportunities to think, talk and make connections.