Manor Early Years Pre-School

A woodland classroom, a pond and children helping to grow their lunch give Manor Early Years Pre-School a clear character. Based at Knaresborough Children's Centre on Manor Road, it takes children aged two to four and has 26 places in total. Outdoor learning is a substantial part of the day, rather than an occasional addition to indoor play.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its November 2021 inspection. The strongest practical attraction today is the connection between play, nature and everyday tasks: children can move between indoor and outdoor areas, help prepare food and explore the woodland. Full days, mornings and afternoons are offered, with no minimum session requirement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS organises learning into seven areas, with children learning through play and practical experiences. Here, children choose between spaces indoors and outside, alongside activities led by adults, including baking. That gives the day a mixture of personal choice and shared tasks, rather than a succession of adult-directed activities.

Stories and songs bring children together before they return to their own play. Snack time also offers opportunities to participate: children can help set up the café, then clear their used dishes afterwards. These are small responsibilities with a useful purpose. Independence is practised through the ordinary business of the day.

In November 2021, children painted fabric that shifted in the wind, adjusting how they held it to keep painting. Another example involved a ride-in car on rough ground: children enlisted help and agreed who would ride and who would push. These experiences gave children something tangible to solve together, with materials and terrain influencing their decisions.

There was an important weakness alongside that practical activity. In November 2021, staff sometimes supplied instructions instead of helping children work out their own answers; opportunities to develop number knowledge and counting were also missed. Parents weighing the play-based approach should distinguish having interesting resources from using conversation skilfully to extend learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest school sessions use the woodland for learning outdoors and take place three times a week. The outdoor classroom supports woodland use throughout the year, while the Wildlife Area and Pond adds another setting for exploring nature. Outdoor play continues through the year, so suitable clothing is part of the practical routine.

The woodland also featured in November 2021 daily life. Children tackled slopes and worked out how to move tyre swings using their feet. They practised safe crossing on the route to the woodland and put leftover fruit and vegetables into compost for later planting. Movement, safety and care for the environment were connected to things children actually did.

Beyond the grounds, outings include the library and shopping for produce at the market. Visits to a local nursing home take place monthly, with children joining residents for crafts. These experiences broaden the people and places children encounter, while keeping the activity concrete: shopping for produce, visiting the library or making crafts together.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2021, staff offered physical comfort and reassuring conversation to children who found separation difficult. Children also welcomed others into their games, shared equipment and responded to gentle reminders about manners. The combination matters: settling support helped children join the day, while everyday interactions gave them practice in playing alongside others.

Communication at that time included conversations with parents each day and online contact. These provided opportunities to exchange information about the child rather than relying entirely on occasional formal discussions. Transition support remains part of the current offer, with help as children move to different primary schools in the area.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its November 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with SEND, including collaboration with other professionals. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assurance about every aspect of present practice.

The current team includes a SENCO, safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding lead, alongside early years educators and an early years teacher. Staff roles also include paediatric first aid and a Forest school lead. For families needing additional support, the SENCO role provides a specific starting point for discussing their child's needs.

Lunch is cooked on the premises, with a vegetarian menu using homegrown or local ingredients where possible; children can help with growing, preparation and cooking. Dietary requirements are catered for, and children share the lunchtime meal, making food another practical part of nursery life.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm. The booking choices are full days, morning sessions and afternoon sessions, with no minimum number of sessions required. Morning-only children leave at midday; the daily routine includes lunch followed by more play, an afternoon snack and stories or songs before the day ends.

The absence of a minimum booking commitment makes the shorter patterns useful alongside the full-day option. It allows parents to choose a morning or afternoon pattern rather than having to commit to a larger block of attendance.

Getting There

The address is Knaresborough Children's Centre, Manor Road, Knaresborough, HG5 0BN. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, and a waiting-list form provides a separate route for expressing interest. Once a place has been offered, families complete and return the registration forms.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. For funded children attending a full day, an optional additional charge contributes towards lunch, drinks, snacks, an extra half-hour of childcare, Forest school, martial arts or dance classes, and outings. Food therefore sits within a separately charged package for those funded days, rather than being automatically included in funded hours.

Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation. The sessions and fees information explains how the funded-day contribution combines food, additional childcare and activities.

• Learning through conversation. The November 2021 improvement points concerned independent thinking and number work. During a visit, ask how staff now use questions and everyday play to extend both.
• Outdoor participation. Forest school runs three times a week, and indoor and outdoor play continues whatever the weather. Consider whether your child enjoys this balance and plan clothing accordingly.
• Funded-day extras. The optional contribution combines meals, additional childcare and activities. Ask how a funded full day works if you choose not to pay it, including what you would provide instead.
• Dietary needs. Lunch follows a vegetarian menu and dietary requirements are catered for. Families managing allergies should confirm the current arrangements for their child before joining.

Manor suits families looking for morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day care, with woodland learning and practical participation threaded through the day. The outdoor classroom, food preparation and monthly nursing-home crafts give that offer substance. The Good judgement from November 2021 provides a useful dated reference, while its concerns about thinking skills and mathematics remain sensible questions for a visit. For children who enjoy making, moving and exploring, there is plenty here to engage with.