West Thorpe Pre School Playgroup
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in York for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 16:15, 4 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 1992, with 32 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 York
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in York 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
YO24 2PNWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 27 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly welcomed by staff and immediately engage in learning in this pre-school. They are supported to reflect on their emotions and briefed on what is happening throughout the day. This helps children to feel safe and secure, and confident to talk about their emotions. They ask each other and staff how they are feeling and make links to different emotions, such as happy and excited. Parents comment on how the pre-school is supporting their children's personal development, including their confidence and social skills. They note how their children practise breathing exercises that they have been taught by staff to help regulate their emotions.
Staff encourage children's independence throughout the day. Children are encouraged to actively participate in their pre-school, completing surveys to choose what is for snack. They are keen to help with daily tasks, such as pouring drinks and getting ready to go outside. Outdoors, children have lots of opportunities for physical development. They move equipment to make an obstacle course and play on scooters. Staff deliver engaging activities, such as making magic wands and providing lots of opportunities for reading. Children engage with books independently throughout the areas of provision. Staff enhance this by reading with children enthusiastically and taking time to explore language and the themes of the story. Children show what they know by completing sentences in familiar stories and discussing ideas about the characters. Throughout the pre-school, children show high levels of well-being, focus and attention. They are happy, confident and actively engage in their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- embed a clear approach to teaching to ensure all interactions with children support them to make progress in their learning n strengthen staff's knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop to support their development further.
- 27 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 11 March 2019Good
- 21 June 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for West Thorpe Pre School Playgroup
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.