Open 7.30am - 6.30pm
Outdoor learning
Organic nursery
Open 51 weeks
Little Green Rascals Minster Yard is a truly unique nursery. Nestled in the heart of York, next to the York Minster gardens, our nursery offers parents the most central location for childcare and provides children with unparalleled adventures.
Our goal at Little Green Rascals Minster Yard is to create a home-from-home environment, offering natural, locally sourced, and organic products whenever possible—ensuring no added nasties in our food or skincare. Our toys and resources are made from natural and sustainable materials, and even our electricity comes from an ethical supplier as we try everything we can do our bit to help our planet.
We’ve equipped our garden area so that play and exploration are at the forefront. From mud kitchens to rom mud kitchens to water pumps and sand pits. We create learning areas throughout our gardens to enhance areas of the EYFS to the outdoors, as well as indoors, to provide our children with different experiences every day.
Our prime location allows for frequent York city centre adventures and explorations. The children enjoy regular outings to all that our wonderful city has to offer—learning history at one of the museums, enjoying a sweet treat at Bettys, or feeding the squirrels in the Museum Gardens. Whether it’s rain or shine, the children are always out and about, making the most of their surroundings.
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The Brighter Learning Approach (BLA) is unique to The Old Station Nursery group and is our advanced approach to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and core pedagogy. It differs from traditional nursery teaching methods by providing real-life opportunities to enhance children’s natural curiosity, with emphasis on hands-on experiences, child-led learning, and whole development.
The six core areas promote active engagement and critical thinking whilst encouraging exploration, creativity, and collaboration. Each child learns at their own pace and is challenged and extended at appropriate times.
The best place to see the BLA in action is via our local nursery Facebook page, where each post explains which part of the curriculum the children are working on. Our parents also receive updates on the Parent App too.
Championing children's holistic health and laying the foundations for a happy, healthy and successful life.
Helping the future generation of global citizens to understand the world they live in and to believe they can make a difference.
Enabling early experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). Nurturing our next generation of investigators, inventors and innovators.
Enticing children to develop a life-long love of books and reading through engaging and interactive storytelling experiences. Building strong literacy skills while sparking imagination and creativity.
Engaging children in meaningful mathematical learning. Developing knowledge, building skills and exploring concepts, through purposeful play and plenty of practice.
Developing confident communicators by engaging in quality conversations with children every day, in a language rich and communication friendly environment.
At Little Green Rascals Minster Yard we have numerous extra clubs that enhance the Brighter Learning Approach, our bespoke version of the Early Years Statutory Framework. We also invite outside professionals to join us who provide additional sessions to our children.
If we’re not experiencing York Minster Gardens or walking about the city, we might be busy in one of our many clubs.
Budding musicians can explore different instruments at our children’s nursery, as well as enjoying rhythmic games, and participating in interactive sing-along sessions. They’ll discover the joy of creating melodies, understanding beats, and expressing themselves through music. Each activity is carefully crafted to inspire a love for music and develop their auditory skills in a fun and engaging environment.
Mini Kixx at Minster Yard nursery offers a positive introduction to sport through high-quality football training in a friendly, pressure-free environment.
Designed for our older children, these classes focus on simplicity and enjoyment, teaching essential skills like kicking, dribbling, and basic coordination through age-appropriate activities.
Baby Band is perfect for our tiniest rockstars, providing a joyful introduction to music. With baby-friendly instruments, fun songs, and interactive activities, this program nurtures a love for music while supporting early development.
Led by talented instructors, each session is filled with rhythm, melody, and laughter.
This engaging program run by Lingotots introduces children to the basics of French through fun activities, songs, and interactive games.
Our experienced and enthusiastic instructors create a playful and nurturing environment where kids can explore new words, sounds, and cultural traditions.
The team at Tatty Bumpkin Yoga in York join us every week and supports our children’s well-being.
They oxygenate their bodies with different breaths, explore their bodies’ capabilities through stretching and balancing, and promote mindfulness.
Our Budding Scientists program at Little Green Rascals Minster Yard sparks curiosity and imagination. Children engage in exciting experiments and hands-on activities exploring various materials and concepts.
From creating imaginative potions to embarking on space-themed adventures, our young scientists are always enthusiastic to learn. These activities promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Parents enjoy hearing their children share their discoveries and proudly display their creations at home. It’s an excellent way to foster a lifelong love of learning and discovery in a supportive and stimulating environment.
At Little Green Rascals Minster Yard, we nurture a love for nature through our Budding Gardeners program. Rain or shine, our young gardeners eagerly tend to our vegetable planters, finding the messy gardens especially fun.
They learn about different plant growth stages and enjoy exploring the tastes and textures of the produce they help grow.
These activities teach environmental stewardship and sustainable gardening practices, instilling a sense of responsibility and wonder for the natural world. Watching their excitement as they harvest their first vegetables is a joy and a skill they will carry with them for life.
Budding Artists at Little Green Rascals Minster Yard is a huge hit with the children, and parents often tell us they prefer the mess on our nursery floor rather than at home! These sessions involve a variety of materials like paint, flour, leaves, playdoh, lentils, shredded paper, and glue, to name just a few.
We use all sorts of items that children love to explore, enhancing their creative development and fine motor skills. Our nursery is designed to support messy play, and we ensure everything is cleaned up and tidy before lunch.
Our Budding Movers program at Little Green Rascals Minster Yard takes children on a magical journey through music and movement.
Classes feature musical instruments, sensory play, puppets, and dance, designed to enhance coordination, creativity, and confidence in an engaging way. Children eagerly participate, and parents often notice improvements in their social skills and self-expression.
These classes are a wonderful opportunity for children to explore their musical talents and burn off energy while having a blast!
At Little Green Rascals Minster Yard, we believe every child can become a budding chef! Our cooking sessions blend fun and learning in the kitchen.
Whether it’s preparing a healthy meal or baking a scrumptious dessert, children gain hands-on experience and learn essential skills like measuring, counting, and following instructions. They also develop a passion for nutritious food.
Cooking together fosters teamwork and creativity, and the joy on their faces when they taste their creations is truly priceless. It’s more than just cooking; it’s about building confidence and creating joyful memories.
Our nursery group is passionate about the link between home and nursery; the nursery experience is just as much about the parent as it is for the child.
This nursery commits to verbally updating you about your child’s day at pick-up time and also via digital updates on the parent App.
We are here at any time should you wish to call us or want to discuss any area of your child’s care. Our aim is to look after our parents as well as our children, so you can carry on with your day, work and career with a sense of peace.
First and foremost, you and we need to know that your child is safe. Before we can deliver the excellent curriculum that makes our nurseries so special, robust policies and procedures are followed to meet the exacting standards of Ofsted, building and fire regulations, food safety standards and staff DBS background checks and references.
Our staff are trained in numerous areas and we offer further training opportunities for staff who have an interest in a particular area. For example, some of our nurseries have attained Millie’s Mark, an accreditation gained by having 100% of staff on site trained in paediatric first aid.
At Little Green Rascals Minster Yard, we believe in supporting smooth transitions for children as they prepare for school.
Our dedicated team of key staff collaborates closely with teachers to share valuable insights about each child’s development stages and individual needs. This communication ensures continuity and supports personalised care and learning.
To further support our children and families, we offer transition sessions on-site where parents can actively participate and engage with the transition process.
At Minster Yard we offer an organic three-week rotating menu that ensures variety and balance in every meal. We prepare breakfast, morning snacks, and afternoon snacks on site, ensuring freshness and quality.
We understand the importance of dietary preferences and needs, which is why we offer a separate vegetarian menu in collaboration with our caterers. Our goal is to meet all dietary requirements and provide a wholesome dining experience for every child.
It is wonderful to nurture and see our children graduate to primary school. Part of the unique offering at our nurseries is our focus on the next stage of your child’s learning journey.
We prepare the children through school activities, teacher meet and greets and graduation ceremonies. Our commitment is to support our parents too by providing child learning journey updates, parents evenings or one-to-ones and home link learning kits to enhance the link between nursery and home.
All our nurseries follow the Brighter Learning Approach to the Early Years Statutory Framework. Within this, each nursery chooses extra clubs, activities, and enhancements suitable for their space.
At our nursery, the children at our York nursery enjoy Brighter Learning clubs, Baby Band, French Lessons, Mini Kixx and Yoga. We also hold open days where parents and carers are encouraged to come along and meet other parents to build their own personal friendships and networks ahead of primary school.
Little Green Rascals Minster Yard commits to providing a simple fee structure so you can manage your nursery costs.
At this nursery we provide private and government funded sessions for eligible parents. Contact us for the nursery fee that is correct for your individual circumstances.
In the Wiggly Worms room, our youngest babies spend their days learning and exploring with sensory activities. Developing good relationships is crucial at this age, and our caring staff are here to help you and your baby settle in comfortably.
In the Dancing Dragonflies, children are supported by our staff to develop their independence and curiosity. They can engage in various activities, from spending time in our home corners to playing with puzzles that stretch their mathematical abilities.
The all-weather room, featuring beautiful free-flow opportunities to the garden with a covered area, provides an amazing and open learning space for our oldest under-2s. This versatile space allows children to explore and learn both indoors and outdoors, regardless of the weather, fostering their development in a stimulating and engaging environment.
In Cheeky Hens, children are encouraged to further their speech, language, and understanding skills. We foster creativity and imagination through daily messy play activities and focused topics that help children uncover knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
At this age the Cheeky Hens are able to start venturing out on walks around York city centre, taking in new sights and famous with local shop owners.
For our children aged 3 and above, the Little Green Rascals room offers support from an Early Years Teacher. Here, children are encouraged to develop into independent learners, ready for school the following September.
With free-flow access, they can spend all day in our gardens, exploring and learning in the great outdoors.
"I love my job. It is such a nice feeling coming to work and enjoying what I do each and every day, and the rascals that I look after play a big part in that. Since being very young I have always wanted to work with children.
I completed my Early Years teacher qualification to enable me to offer children some wonderful quality learning opportunities."
Suz Hudson (Nursery Manager at Minster Yard Nursery)
Got questions? We’ve got answers! Explore our FAQs to find solutions to common queries about our nursery services, curriculum, enrollment process, and more. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Don’t hesitate to reach out – we’re here to help!
Earlier this month (March 2023), the government announced that in the coming years, there will be some additions to the funding available to parents across the UK. They announced that:
The government is yet to announce any further detail, however, when they do so, we will be able to share further information about how and when parents may be able to take advantage of these additional funded sessions.
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Please note that this is not a confirmation of your tour. One of our nursery team will endeavour to get back to you ASAP to confirm your date and time. Thank you.
If you are looking to arrange a tour within the next 48 hours, we recommend calling the nursery directly.
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