Welcome to
The Young Ones!
Yeovil’s popular Playgroup, After School and Holiday Club.
OFSTED: GOOD! March 2025
Founded over 48 years ago, The Young Ones is securely located in the grounds of Preston Academy, Yeovil.
Starting from small beginnings, The Young Ones now operates out of a very large Portacabin in the grounds of Preston Academy School, Monks Dale, in the north-west corner of
Yeovil, and this also means we are lucky to have a huge and well maintained garden and outside play area which is completely secure and fenced off from the rest of
the school grounds.
Have a good look around our site, especially at our PHOTO GALLERY.
More information can be seen on the ABOUT US and NEWS pages, and enrolment information is on the How to Enrol page.
If you would like to get in touch with us then please see the CONTACT page.
“The Young Ones was my first school – now my children go there!”
I love The Young Ones!
Over 1200 children have passed through The Young Ones.
They have come from families ranging across all ethnic groups living in the Yeovil
area, and we pride ourselves on stimulating cross-cultural integration.
Over the years we have cared for children from the brightest and fittest to those
less fortunate, and our aim has always been to make sure that every child has the
best possible start in school life, regardless of their circumstances.
Above all else, we make absolutely certain they go home happy and inspired.
Hours of opening
PLAYGROUP for 2 to 5s 9:00am to 4:30pm
HOLIDAY care 8:00am to 6:00pm
For the hourly fee rate, please phone 01935 433365
ValerieMy children have been coming to The Young Ones after-school and holiday club for the last two years. They have learnt to be independent and have enjoyed mixing with the other children.
CallumI'm six. I like playing with my friend William. When Jane is not here I miss her.
Rebecca, aged 8I am 8 and I really like the holiday club because we do lots of things like cooking and playing in the garden also painting and drawing.
Drew, aged 11I've learnt a lot from The Young Ones. I was very silly and naughty when I first started but now I behave much better and get on with the others thanks to The Young Ones and Jane.
WilliamWhen I was five I came to The Young Ones. I like playing with my friend Callum.
Katy, aged 11I really enjoy coming here and playing with all my friends. There are lots of things to play with such as painting and baking. All the staff are very nice and considerate.
Lisa MullisAndy TaylorMy Maddie has been coming to The Young Ones for five years. The staff have been incredibly accommodating and helpful with my child care needs sometimes at very short notice…..I would highly recommend The Young Ones.
The Learning Journey
On Joining
When joining, you can stay with your child for as long as you need until you feel they are fully settled and happy. During this time, we will listen to and observe your child and their interests. This forms the starting point for their Individual Play Plan.
We also include relevant information from previous childcare settings and appropriate agencies, such as health visitors or speech and language therapists.
Your child will be allocated a Keyworker who will be responsible for supporting their educational progress, social and emotional development, and overall wellbeing. The Keyworker will also help maintain your child’s Individual Play Plan.
The Young Ones is as much a parents’ group as it is a childcare setting. Parents are welcome to spend time here.
The Learning Process
We create and maintain a General Learning and Play Plan, which is available for parents to view. This plan is updated regularly and outlines activities designed to support the Early Years Foundation Stage areas of learning:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
During activities, staff carefully observe children’s progress, interests, attitudes and involvement. These observations, along with photos and examples of children’s work, help form each child’s Pathway Journal and identify their next steps in learning.
Parents are encouraged to share information about their child’s learning and experiences at home. This may include notes, photos or conversations with staff. This helps us keep each child’s plan accurate and meaningful.
Each child’s Individual Play Plan is used to tailor activities to their needs, interests and development.
Caring for Everybody
Every child is different, and each Individual Play Plan and Pathway Journal reflects that. This helps us quickly identify if a child may need extra support.
Where needed, we may use additional assessments or seek advice from external professionals. This may include support for communication, learning, health, dietary needs or additional care requirements.
We also recognise children’s strengths and interests, and we aim to support every child, including those who may need additional challenge or specialist support.
Holiday Time
The Young Ones offers continuity of care for children aged 2 to 14 years, including holiday care.
Because children are familiar with our setting, staff and routines, we can build holiday activities around their interests. We provide a safe, supervised and enjoyable environment where children can create, explore, play, learn and have fun.
On Leaving
When your child moves on to school, we aim to make the transition as smooth as possible.
We provide relevant information to the receiving school, including your child’s development, strengths, health care needs and any specialised learning plans.
Where appropriate, we support transition meetings and encourage visits from teachers to help your child feel confident and prepared for their next stage.
Check out the news page for all the latest info!
