Holgate Preschool

Holgate Windmill, Westbank Park and outdoor exploration at Woodland Adventure give Holgate Preschool a recognisable York character. Learning extends into the surrounding community, while play, conversation and growing independence shape the day within the setting. This is a charity led by a volunteer committee, based at Holgate Methodist Church on Acomb Road, with 24 places in total.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and judged safeguarding effective, while identifying inconsistent implementation of individual learning targets and insufficient opportunities to explore the world beyond children's own experiences. Those findings matter alongside the appealing activities: a busy programme needs to respond reliably to each child's development.

The preschool serves children aged two to five, although its admissions age wording needs clarification before joining. It opens on weekdays from 9am to 2pm during term time, with attendance capped at 25 hours a week. Funded hours include Rugby Tots, Jazzy J’s dance class and local outings, giving families concrete examples of what their child's entitlement covers.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) supplies the framework: children develop language, physical skills, relationships, early literacy and mathematical understanding through play. Activities build on children's interests, with books, creative materials and everyday problems giving them different ways to practise. The emphasis is on using skills in meaningful situations rather than treating each area of learning as an isolated lesson.

Communication has several practical supports. Staff have undertaken WellComm training, a programme supporting early language and communication, and the day includes songs, stories and conversations over food. Adults use welcome assessments and interventions alongside activities designed to encourage talk. These are useful mechanisms for identifying where a child needs help and making language part of ordinary play.

Books also reach beyond group story time. Lending libraries support reading at home, parents come in to share stories, and children can retell familiar tales through dressing up and imaginative play. Mark-making materials include pencils shaped for easier handling, paintbrushes and outdoor opportunities to make marks. The connection is practical: handling tools and giving marks meaning both contribute to early literacy.

Mathematics is woven into activities indoors and outdoors, with planned Maths weeks giving additional attention to solving problems. In June 2025, children counted wheels during play and explored shapes using dough and mats; younger children practised shape names while older children considered their properties. These examples make the learning tangible. Everyday objects become opportunities to count, compare and describe.

Physical play has equally concrete resources. Bikes, scooters, construction materials and large mats are available outdoors, while indoor soft play provides another way to practise movement. Scissors and different pencils support finer hand control. Weekly Rugby Tots visits add a recurring physical activity, and Jazzy J’s contributes dance; both are included within funded hours.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School sessions explore nature, with visits to Woodland Adventure extending that exploration into an outdoor setting. Regular outings also include Holgate Windmill and Westbank Park. No single destination carries the whole programme: familiar local places give children experiences to discuss and connect with their learning.

Community life also features visits to the local church for Nativity performances and tours. The People Who Help Us topic introduces the work of police and fire services, linking preschool rules with responsibilities beyond the setting. Children are encouraged to express preferences, recognise that others can choose differently and respect different beliefs. Families can contribute to celebrations drawing on different cultures.

That local emphasis has a useful counterweight in the June 2025 improvement action. Activities about similarities and differences were taking place, but opportunities to understand lives beyond children's familiar experiences needed development. Local outings and broader cultural understanding are related aims, rather than interchangeable ones. Families should weigh both when considering the programme.

Relationships and Communication

Each practitioner has key children, keeps their developmental records and acts as a contact for parents or carers. That gives families an identifiable relationship for discussing their child, rather than relying entirely on whoever happens to be available. Tapestry, the online learning journal, provides secure family access to developmental updates that staff can add promptly.

In June 2025, staff gathered information from families about children's interests, routines and starting points, then used it to plan care and activities. Children turned to adults for comfort and shared their achievements with them. These everyday exchanges are useful indicators of how relationships supported participation at the time, especially for children still building confidence in a group.

Reading visits and staff guidance on language development help families connect preschool learning with conversations and books at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The team includes a SENCO role and designated safeguarding lead roles. At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff, families and external professionals exchanged information and agreed learning strategies, but some staff did not put those strategies into action promptly enough to meet emerging needs consistently. For a child requiring individual support, agreeing a target is only the first step; carrying it through during everyday activities matters just as much.

In June 2025, daily outdoor activity supported physical development, and snack routines encouraged hygiene and increasing independence. Children had balanced snacks. The current curriculum also includes sociable mealtimes, a healthy food policy and work with families on self-care, bringing wellbeing into ordinary routines rather than leaving it to a separate activity.

Preparation for school was practical in June 2025: teaching staff visited the preschool and received information about children's development. Meeting future teachers and sharing developmental information helped make the next stage more familiar. This is transition support, with no named school admissions advantage attached to it.

Sessions and Attendance

Holgate Preschool operates from Holgate Methodist Church, Acomb Road, York, YO24 4AE. Opening hours are 9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. Children can attend for a maximum of 25 hours weekly. That combination is central to the decision: families need an arrangement that fits the preschool's term-time calendar and early-afternoon finish.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01904 780832, by email at info@holgatepreschool.org.uk or through the contact form. Paid childcare is offered alongside funded provision. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to assess their intended attendance without relying on a historic price.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funded options are Two Year Old Funding, 30 Hours Extended Free Childcare Funding and standard 15 Hours Free Childcare for children aged three and four. Delivery is term-time, subject to eligibility, and the preschool's own weekly attendance maximum remains relevant when considering how an entitlement fits a family's arrangements.

Rugby Tots, Jazzy J’s dance class and trips around the area are included in funded hours. That is a meaningful part of the offer: named activities are covered rather than presented simply as possible additions. The preschool also uses Pupil Premium funding to support children who meet its criteria. The admissions and funding page sets out the entitlement categories.

• Starting age. The general information accepts children from two, while admissions wording starts at two and a half. Clarify which starting age applies to your child before arranging a visit.
• Term-time timetable. The weekday opening window ends at 2pm, and attendance is capped at 25 hours weekly. Consider how that fits work commitments, holidays and any extended funded entitlement.
• Individual support in practice. June 2025 improvement actions concerned putting individual targets into daily practice and broadening children's understanding beyond familiar experiences. During a visit, ask how staff now carry agreed strategies through activities and develop the broader-world programme.
• Food and everyday supplies. Snacks and sociable mealtimes feature in the preschool day. Before joining, ask about food and consumables arrangements, including any requirements specific to your child.

Holgate Preschool suits families seeking term-time preschool care with an early-afternoon finish, a play-based day and regular connections to York's local community. WellComm training, Tapestry communication and funded activities give the offer substance, while the outdoor resources and named outings make it easy to picture the experiences children can have.

The June 2025 Good judgement sits alongside improvement priorities concerning individual learning strategies and broader-world experiences. How those priorities translate into daily activities remains an important consideration for families.