Kirkby Malzeard Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Ripon for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 1992, with 26 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in North Yorkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Yorkshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
HG4 3RTWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 24 January 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 4 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are extremely happy and settled in the pre-school. On arrival, they are greeted enthusiastically by the warm and caring staff. Children know the routine well. They confidently hang up their coat, place their lunch boxes in the trolley and go to the bathroom to wash their hands before they go and play. Children feel safe and secure. They speak confidently to staff and initiate friendly conversations with peers. Group times are organised well. Children of different ages remain fully focused and engaged. For instance, younger children happily join in with songs and rhymes. Older children count accurately and are challenged to consider how many is left when one is taken away.
Children behave extremely well. They show good levels of cooperation with each other and staff. Children know that there are key times during the day when they need to tidy away the toys and are always willing to participate. They are extremely polite. For instance, children are rarely reminded to use good manners and respectfully ask if they can leave the table when they have finished eating. The manager and staff are sensitive to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the children and parents. They used technology effectively to maintain contact with families when the pre-school had to close.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide more opportunities for children to develop their independence skills at snack time n gather more comprehensive information from parents about children's achievements and skills on entry to plan even more meaningful experiences from the start.
- 4 May 2022Good
- 29 November 2016Good
- 29 April 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Kirkby Malzeard Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.