Haxby Playgroups Rising Fives

Children’s interests shape the day at Haxby Playgroups Rising Fives, the preschool based within Ralph Butterfield School’s grounds in Haxby. In-the-moment planning means practitioners build learning around what children are exploring. Play leads the way.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its inspection on 25 June 2021. The preschool caters for children aged 3 to 5 and has 34 places in total; that whole-setting capacity is separate from the number attending any particular session. Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions give families different ways to organise attendance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children’s learning and care. Its areas of learning include communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development: learning to communicate, develop physical skills and build relationships. Activities are shaped around children’s interests and stages of development. Alongside that framework, in-the-moment planning gives children’s immediate interests a practical role in deciding what happens next. A child’s own ideas become starting points for learning.

Practitioners organise the environment around children’s developmental stages and interests. Their role includes joining children’s play and extending it through interaction. For parents, the useful distinction is between simply letting children choose an activity and using that choice to support further learning: this approach centres on the latter.

Play dough and baking ingredients are among the resources covered by the session consumables charge. These concrete materials sit alongside the emphasis on learning through play. Practical clothing matters here, too: activities can leave clothes stained or messy, and families are asked to choose suitable clothing rather than expensive outfits.

A key person is the first contact for concerns about a child’s care, with the manager providing the next step if a concern remains unresolved. Parents receive spoken progress updates and can arrange a discussion about development or other aspects of attendance. That gives everyday conversation a place alongside more deliberate meetings.

The manager also holds the SENCO role. The registration charge covers administration, home visits and settling sessions, linking the joining process with time to prepare for attendance. Where a child’s support needs exceed what the setting can provide, the terms describe working with the family, local authority and other agencies to identify appropriate support; they also allow the childcare agreement to end in those circumstances.

For food allergies, the policy provides for an individual risk assessment and acknowledges that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out. Snacks attract a separate charge, while families supply nappies and wipes, together with spare clothing and a nappy bag where needed.

Collection arrangements require parents to identify authorised adults. A collector who does not usually collect the child must provide proof of identity, and staff check with parents before releasing a child if they are uncertain. This is an arrangement families need to keep up to date whenever collection plans change.

Before attendance begins, families complete registration paperwork covering permission for medication, outings and emergency treatment. These decisions form part of preparing for a child’s sessions. Photographs and video contribute to individual development records; written permission is sought for training, publicity or marketing use. Families must also report contagious illness promptly and keep children away while they could pass it to others. Staff may request collection if a child becomes unwell during a session, so parents need to be ready to respond.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Ralph Butterfield School, Station Road, Haxby, York, YO32 3LS. Attendance follows Ralph Butterfield’s school term dates, so the preschool fits a school-term calendar.

The All Day Session runs from 9am to 3pm. The Morning Session runs from 9am to midday, and the Afternoon Session from midday to 3pm. These are separate booking options, allowing attendance for a morning, an afternoon or the full school-day window.

An Application to Join form starts the waiting-list process. Offers are made in the term before the intended start, subject to the admissions policy; families must accept within one week or risk withdrawal of the offer. Siblings receive waiting-list priority, but that does not guarantee a place. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01904 762776 or by email to rb@haxbyplaygroups.org.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Current prices come in the preschool’s written quotation. Paid sessions are invoiced ahead of each half term, and consumables are charged separately for each morning or afternoon session, covering snacks, play dough and baking ingredients. Parents provide nappies and wipes.

The non-refundable registration charge includes home visits and settling sessions. Special activities may involve a voluntary contribution: children are not excluded because their family struggles to contribute, although an activity may be cancelled if contributions are insufficient. Reducing attendance or leaving requires at least one month’s notice, with withdrawal notice given in writing.

• School-term attendance. Sessions follow Ralph Butterfield’s term dates. Families needing care during school holidays should plan around that calendar.
• A school-site preschool. Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process.
• Allergy planning. Cross-contamination cannot be ruled out under the food policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and discuss their child’s risk assessment before starting.
• Funding arrangements. How would funded hours apply to your chosen morning, afternoon or all-day pattern, including the treatment of snack and consumables charges?

Rising Fives suits families seeking preschool for children aged 3 to 5, with a choice between morning, afternoon and all-day attendance during school terms. Its clearest educational characteristic is planning that follows children’s interests. The separate consumables charge, school-term calendar and written notice requirements are practical parts of the decision, alongside the dated Good inspection judgement.