Horsendale Playgroup

A pretend vegetable shop, musical pipes outdoors and magnets used to build structures for pretend animals give Horsendale Playgroup's March 2023 daily life a recognisable character. Play linked conversation, movement and early writing rather than keeping them in separate activities.

Based in the Community Room at Horsendale Primary School in Nuthall, the playgroup has 24 places in total. At its 28 March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and found safeguarding effective, alongside effective collaboration with parents and professionals for children developing additional needs. Children attending then were aged 2 to 11, including school-age children using wraparound care.

In March 2023, children experimented with magnets to construct structures for pretend animals, while a vegetable-shop game brought together shared play, shopping lists and real vegetables. These were practical reasons to think, talk and write.

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, the March 2023 examples show learning through play and everyday tasks. Staff emphasised mathematics and independence, using counting stories and opportunities for children to manage coats and zips themselves.

Outdoor activity in March 2023 included climbing, sliding and balancing on moving rollers. Children also tested the sounds made by striking pipes of different lengths. Indoors, dough modelling exercised small hand movements, and painting with kitchen utensils gave children different ways to experiment with colour and texture.

In March 2023, staff comforted unsettled children and acknowledged both their efforts and their kindness towards others. Encouragement accompanied construction play and toy sharing, making everyday interactions part of the care children received.

Welfare routines that March included checks of outdoor hazards and toys, secured doors between collection periods and regular safeguarding training. Staff understood how to respond to welfare concerns and medical emergencies.

Communication needed attention too. In March 2023, some parents received too little guidance to continue their child's individual learning at home. That distinction matters: contact with families and useful advice for home learning are separate parts of parent partnership.

The address is Horsendale Primary School, Community Room, Assarts Road, Nuthall, Nottingham NG16 1AP.

In March 2023, the playgroup operated during term time on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with sessions running from 9am to 3.15pm. Wraparound care was for school-age children attending the host school: mornings ran from 7.30am to 8.45am and afternoons from 3.15pm to 5.45pm.

Funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children formed part of the March 2023 provision. The school-site arrangement should be kept separate from Reception admissions: attending the playgroup does not guarantee a school place, and families still apply through the local authority.

• Home-learning guidance. The March 2023 improvement action concerned helping every parent support their child's learning. At a visit, ask how staff now share individual next steps and practical ideas for home.
• Technology and safety. In March 2023, children had restricted access to digital equipment and insufficient teaching about recognising internet hazards. Ask how functioning technology and age-appropriate safety discussions feature now.
• Term-time planning. The March 2023 pattern combined daytime playgroup sessions with school-age wraparound care. Before joining, ask for the current attendance terms and a written quotation covering funded hours, food and consumables.

The March 2023 provision suited families seeking term-time playgroup sessions or school-age wraparound care connected to the host school. Its Good judgement sits alongside concrete examples of imaginative play, physical challenge and growing independence. Home-learning communication and digital learning are the two specific areas to explore when judging the present offer.