Clifton Moor Pre-School

Counting backwards, matching bricks to picture cards and getting absorbed in stories give Clifton Moor Pre-School its clearest character. In May 2022, these were concrete parts of children's learning, with mathematical ideas woven into activities rather than confined to a separate task. The setting has capacity for 20 children and operates on the Lakeside Primary School site in York.

At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Good overall, with leadership and management requiring improvement, and found safeguarding effective and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well supported. That is a dated assessment, with important qualifications behind the overall grade.

Morning and full-day attendance are offered during term time. The choice gives families two different ways to organise preschool care around the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the curriculum: children develop language, physical skills, relationships and early understanding through play. Adult-directed activities sit alongside play that children initiate themselves. That balance gives children opportunities both to follow guidance and to pursue their own interests.

In May 2022, children mixed dough by taking turns with ingredients and used tongs to pick up shapes and feathers. These activities brought handling materials, conversation and shared participation together. Older children also attempted to reproduce printed words and numbers, connecting practical play with early writing.

Mathematical learning was especially visible in May 2022. Children paired brick quantities with cards, explored number recognition and practised counting backwards when some children left at lunchtime. More confident children tackled addition and subtraction. The useful point for parents is the variety of contexts: number work cropped up in ordinary routines as well as planned activities.

Storytelling supplied another clear example that month. Staff used objects and visual prompts to hold children's attention, while introducing unfamiliar words and explaining their meaning. Children remembered phrases from stories. However, some activities did not leave every child enough opportunity to answer questions or develop their ideas, an important limitation alongside the engaging examples.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2022, the outdoor area supported climbing and balancing, with children testing movement and manageable risks. It added a physical dimension to a day that also included language and number work. This is a useful feature for families who value active play alongside indoor activities.

Clifton Moor Pre-School is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. Its charitable structure also keeps profits within the pre-school, directing them back towards its use rather than shareholders.

Each child has a key person who maintains an individual developmental learning journal. This gives parents a consistent link with someone following their child's development, rather than relying solely on informal conversations with whichever practitioner is available.

In May 2022, staff gathered information about children when they started, including visiting previous settings, and discussed progress regularly with parents. Children understood familiar routines, including tidying up, and staff used a sand timer to support fair turns with resources. These examples show how relationships and everyday expectations worked together at that time.

Emotional support needed more consistency in May 2022. Children were not always given enough help to talk through their feelings and build confidence. The concern was specific: support with discussing emotions, rather than a general criticism of children's behaviour.

The team includes a SENCO role and first-aid-trained practitioners. In May 2022, staff also worked with other professionals around children's additional needs and planned targets. For families, the key person and SENCO roles provide identifiable routes for discussing development and support.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Lakeside Primary School, Oakdale Road, Clifton Moor, York, YO30 4YL. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; full-day sessions run from 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday.

Attendance follows York school terms, with closures for Lakeside Primary Academy training days and public bank holidays. This makes the calendar a significant part of the choice: families needing care during school holidays will need a separate arrangement for those periods.

Telephone and an email form provide enquiry routes. Families can request a place on the waiting list by email, and email is the recommended contact method during school holidays, when both the pre-school and school office are closed.

Funding and Paid Extras

The Government Early Education Grant covers three-hour sessions from the term after a child's third birthday, and a grant funding form must be completed. The pre-school also accepts 2 year old funding, subject to availability. Funding is delivered during term time; private childcare is also offered, with payments made in advance for each half term.

For full-day attendance, parents supply a healthy packed lunch and lunch supervision attracts a separate charge. Current prices come in the pre-school's written quotation; individual arrangements for paying fees can be agreed confidentially.

Being based at Lakeside Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process, so preschool attendance and the school application should be treated as separate decisions.

• Committee checks. In May 2022, committee changes had not all been notified, preventing the required suitability checks; committee members had no contact with children. The required action was to supply the missing information. Ask how trustee changes and checks are handled now.
• Participation and emotions. In May 2022, some children needed more opportunity to answer questions and more help discussing feelings. During a visit, ask how staff include quieter children and support conversations about emotions.
• Term-time pattern. Morning and full-day sessions follow school terms, including Lakeside Primary Academy training days. Compare that calendar with your working pattern and holiday-care needs.

Clifton Moor Pre-School suits families choosing either mornings or full days within a school-term calendar. Its key-person journals offer a clear parent contact, while the May 2022 examples of number work, storytelling and outdoor movement give substance to the learning picture. The same dated assessment also identifies governance, participation and emotional-support issues that deserve attention. Those specifics make the choice more useful than the overall grade alone.