Sowood Pre-School And Community Association
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Halifax for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2022. Open since 2018, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
What childcare usually costs in Calderdale
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Calderdale 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
HX4 9HYWhat 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.
- 25 January 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 13 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children's smiles and laughter are contagious in this welcoming pre-school. They enjoy their time here and show that they are happy, content and feel safe.
Children use their hands and a range of tools to flatten play dough. They show their concentration skills and small muscle development as they stick birthday candles into holders. Children make pretend cakes. They hold conversations with each other and staff about the recent Jubilee celebrations. Children explain that the
'Queen's name is Elizabeth', that she has 'curly hair' and 'wears a purple hat'. They decide to make pizza for the Queen and discuss that she would like 'pepperoni, sweetcorn, ham, and mushroom' toppings. Children put their pretend food in the oven and make cups of tea. They engage in imaginative role play based on their own first-hand experiences. Staff have high expectations for children and place a great emphasis on back-and-forth conversations with them. Children are confident communicators. They develop the skills they will need for their move on to school.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - embed the system for monitoring staff's practice to ensure teaching is consistently of a high standard n support staff to challenge children's already good understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting.
- 13 June 2022Good
- 26 November 2021Inadequate
- 2 July 2021Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sowood Pre-School And Community Association
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.