Seamer Pre-School

An old primary school building, sole daytime use of its premises and a parent committee give Seamer Pre-School a clear village identity. Based at Seamer & District Youth Centre on Main Street, it is a charitable, not-for-profit setting with capacity for 30 children. Parents can help shape its running by joining the management committee, making their involvement more than a matter of receiving updates.

Ofsted judged the pre-school Outstanding on 8 September 2022. That is a dated judgement: the examples below from September 2022 describe practice at that time, while the current attendance offer remains term-time mornings, afternoons and all-day sessions.

The strongest thread is the connection between children's choices and adult guidance. Children select activities and follow tasks through, while staff introduce experiences that help them learn alongside others. For families seeking a preschool day built around participation rather than a succession of adult instructions, that balance has clear appeal.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and supported activities build communication, physical skills and understanding. Seamer combines opportunities for children to choose their own tasks with activities directed by adults. Choice gives children room to pursue an interest; adult involvement introduces something they might not select themselves.

In September 2022, a dinosaur activity illustrated that balance. Children experimented with footprints made in sand, then developed the idea into patterns using paint. Other learning involved recognising their names, listening to stories, counting objects and comparing measurements. These were practical encounters with language and number, attached to things children could handle and investigate.

Adult questions also left space for different answers in September 2022. Staff sometimes responded with puzzlement so children could propose an explanation themselves. That gives a useful picture of the teaching approach at the time: adults extended an activity through conversation rather than simply supplying the answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor activities support physical development, health and children's understanding of their surroundings. In September 2022, bicycles, scooters and road signs made movement an opportunity to practise steering and judge risks. Gymnastics activities included learning about warming up and noticing the effects of exercise on the body; oral-health discussions brought another aspect of looking after oneself into the day.

A May 2022 newsletter gives a more specific picture of family participation. It announced a return trip to Playdale Farm Park, open to families beyond those attending on the usual Thursday pattern, with the pre-school closed for the outing. It also described an annual sponsored bike ride in the pre-school's car park, which was to be closed to vehicles and secured for the event. These are historical examples, but they show how outings and fundraising brought families into children's experiences.

Each child has an allocated key person who works with parents around the child's interests and needs. Settling is planned together with the family. That provides a clear relationship through which parents can explain what helps their child feel comfortable, rather than treating the start of preschool as a single fixed routine.

Daily contact is supplemented by parent events, newsletters and email. Staff make time to discuss concerns, so communication includes both ordinary exchanges and opportunities for a longer conversation. Parents who want an active role can also join the committee responsible for managing the pre-school.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described careful monitoring of children's development that enabled targeted support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In September 2022, small-group language activities gave staff opportunities to attend closely to children's understanding and communication.

The current inclusion arrangements include reasonable adjustments and work with external professionals or agencies where additional needs require it. This is a practical mechanism for support, rather than a promise that every child will need the same provision.

Moving towards school also has a documented example. In May 2022, transition arrangements were being organised with staff at Seamer School and other local primary schools for children leaving that July. This was preparation for a change of setting, not an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Seamer & District Youth Centre, Main Street, Seamer, Scarborough, YO12 4RF. Opening hours are 8am to 3.45pm on weekdays during term time. Mornings, afternoons and all-day bookings give families different ways to use that opening window; the hours describe when the setting opens, rather than separate start and finish times for each pattern.

Enquiries and bookings can be made by telephone on 01723 865617. The term-time calendar is a central practical consideration for families whose work continues through school holidays.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision covers 15/30 hours per week over 38 weeks during opening hours for two-, three- and four-year-olds, with eligibility conditions applying to two-year-old funding. Attendance beyond a child's funded entitlement is charged privately. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

A mid-morning snack carries no extra charge, while children staying through lunchtime bring food from home. Families therefore need to plan a packed lunch alongside their attendance pattern.

Invoices are issued monthly, with payment by bank transfer due at the month's end. Tax Free Childcare and childcare vouchers are accepted. Fees are reviewed annually, so the written quotation matters when deciding how funded hours and additional paid attendance fit together.

• Term-time attendance. Morning, afternoon and all-day patterns operate within a weekday opening window ending at 3.45pm. Families needing care through holidays or later in the afternoon should weigh that timetable against their working arrangements.
• Settling and additional support. A key person works with each family, and inclusion arrangements involve adjustments and external professionals where needed. At a visit, discuss how these mechanisms would work for your child's settling and any communication or developmental needs.
• Lunch from home. The snack is included, but lunchtime attendance requires a packed lunch. This makes preparing food part of the family's daily routine.

Seamer suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions as well as those wanting an all-day, term-time pattern. Its parent committee, shared settling arrangements and opportunities for children to choose activities give it a clear character. The September 2022 Outstanding judgement adds weight, while the inspection-era examples explain what sat beneath that label: practical learning, thoughtful adult questions and targeted attention to communication. The decisive practical fit is the term-time timetable and its 3.45pm finish.