Our History

The History Behind Our Mission

1960 - 2001

Formed & Grew

We were originally formed in 1960 as a 'pack-away' playgroup and operated by staff and volunteers from Addingham Memorial Hall. Sessions were initially just for a few hours and a couple of days a week. In 2001 the hall was lucky to receive funding by a generous benefactor, allowing an extension at the front of the building, where we no longer needed to pack away at the end of each session!

2009

Move to Addingham Primary

We continued to grow - resulting in the need for even more space! Then in 2010 an opportunity arose to move to a fantastic dedicated larger space within Addingham Primary School - where we still live and love today.

2010

Addingham Pre-School

Now known as Addingham “Pre-School” we continued to flourish over the years where we have cared, loved, nurtured and educated so many children and built up fabulous relationships with their families. Over the years, we have gone from offering only a few short sessions a week to longer sessions every day, catering for the growing needs of the families within our community.

2025 & Beyond

1.6k Children Empowered

We celebrated a major milestone in 2025 of positively impacting over 1,600 young learners.

We look forward to empowering lots more children for many years to come!

Generations of families

It’s fabulous that we are now meeting parents who themselves came to
“playgroup” back in those early years - who are now bringing along their children to be part of the Addingham Pre-School legacy! We look forward to meeting more generations in the future!

"What truly sets this Pre-School apart is how well established and deeply loved it is. The sense of community is incredibly strong - familiar faces return
year after year, friendships last beyond preschool, connections built genuinely span generations - very special".

Grandparent & Parent

5 Star Review

"I attended myself, now, generations later, I’ve already had one child happily move through pre-school and currently have one thriving there right now, my youngest will be joining soon. Continuity that means so much to us as a family".

Local Family

5 Star Review

"I am now proud to work here and be part of the wonderful legacy this community has created. I couldn't have imagined sending my children anywhere else".

Parent & Dept Lead

5 Star Review

"Seeing the same warmth, care, and values that I remember being passed on to the next
generation is truly special. Knowing the happy start I had here, gives me complete
confidence that my child is in safe and loving hands."

Former Pupil & Parent

5 Star Review

"I attended this Pre-School (playgroup back then!) as a child, and now my own child attends
here too. It is heart-warming that a wonderful lady who was a member of staff back then-is
still involved and herself runs the pre-school today!"

Former Pupil & Parent

Mrs Grange