The Reddings Playgroup

A move to a school-site lodge gives The Reddings Playgroup a new chapter, while its curriculum keeps the emphasis on everyday independence, conversation and shared experiences. Since September 2026, its base has been the lodge at Greatfield Park Primary school in Cheltenham. It accepts children from two years old through to preschool age and has capacity for 32 children.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good and judged safeguarding effective, before the move from The Reddings Community Centre. That distinction matters: the judgement describes provision at the former premises, rather than an assessment of the new lodge.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance give families different ways to organise the week. The elected committee also gives parents a formal role in running this charitable playgroup, alongside more familiar opportunities to share their child's experiences.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play across areas including language, physical development and understanding the world. Within that common framework, The Reddings Playgroup curriculum gives extra emphasis to Independence, Communication and language, and Life skills and Experiences. These are practical priorities, with concrete actions behind them.

Independence includes making choices and practising personal care, such as dressing, eating and using the toilet. Activities respond to children's interests, giving them opportunities to decide what to do rather than relying entirely on adult direction. Communication and language adds visual support, patient conversation, vocabulary development and awareness of letter sounds. For a child still finding ways to express a need, pictures and an adult willing to wait are useful parts of the learning day.

Life skills and Experiences connects children's backgrounds with play. Conversations about experiences, different snack foods and outings are among its planned activities. The intention is to bring children's lives into learning, including experiences and celebrations shared by other families.

In November 2024, group stories involved individual sitting mats and discussion of the pictures. Children connected details in a story with their own play, including spotting colours associated with traffic lights. This was more than sitting through a book: it gave children opportunities to remember, talk and make connections.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor activities remain part of the offer. In November 2024, outdoor play included cones and wheeled toys, with children practising movement around others and exploring road signs. Getting ready to go outside also became an opportunity to attempt coats and fastenings, with help adjusted to the child.

The move means those physical arrangements belong to the earlier setting. The current curriculum still includes outings and bringing experiences from outside into the playgroup, while the outings policy requires specific parental permission for major trips and makes venue risk assessments accessible to parents.

Family involvement has several named forms. Sing and share events include parents, carers and grandparents; Summer and Christmas fairs bring families together; and The Preschool leavers celebration event marks the end of children's time at playgroup. These give parents ways to participate beyond routine messages about the day.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker, providing a regular person for parents to talk with, especially during the early stages of attendance. Communication includes newsletters, emails and texts, alongside Parent/Carer Chats. Tapestry carries photographs of children's activities and achievements, helping families see what their child has been doing and giving them a starting point for conversations at home.

Connections with another nursery, playgroup or childminder are also part of the approach when a child attends more than one setting. In November 2024, staff sought parental permission during induction before sharing developmental information with other providers. This allowed adults caring for the same child to exchange useful information rather than working separately.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with SEND, made good progress, with staff involving parents and professionals such as health visitors, although some individual learning targets needed greater precision and quality monitoring needed further development. Both improvement points matter: an activity can engage a child while still needing a clearer purpose, and leaders need a consistent way to assess whether practice is working.

Current support includes a SENCO role, a designated safeguarding lead and deputy safeguarding arrangements. Staff have completed paediatric first-aid training, and professional development is part of their work. These are care arrangements rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement.

The nursery also has early-help procedures, including liaison with other agencies when additional support is needed. For looked-after children, its settling arrangements allow gradual separation once a relationship with the key person has formed, with wellbeing given attention during the early weeks. The practical emphasis is on sharing information and adapting support to the child's circumstances.

Sessions and Attendance

Attendance follows a term-time calendar, with morning and afternoon sessions offered Monday to Friday. Mornings run from 8.55am to 11.55am, and afternoons from 11.55am to 2.55pm. Each session lasts three hours; a full day lasts six hours.

The booking examples include using 15 funded hours as five mornings or two and a half days. This illustrates how shorter sessions and longer attendance can fit different family routines. Additional privately paid hours are offered where a child is ineligible for funding or a family wants hours beyond its funded entitlement.

Getting There

The lodge is on the Greatfield Park Primary school site, with the playgroup's contact address at Hulbert Crescent, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 3FZ. The enquiry form, telephone and email provide routes for registering interest, and visits can be arranged by appointment.

Being based at the school does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process, so the childcare decision and school application need to be considered separately.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours and self-funded places are accepted. The six-hour attendance day and term-time calendar shape how funded hours can be used; eligibility still depends on the relevant entitlement. Current private prices come in the playgroup's written quotation.

Morning snacks are covered by a separate optional donation, and families declining it must supply suitable alternatives that follow the Safer Eating policy. The same donation covers consumables including sun cream and wipes; families who do not contribute must provide adequate alternatives for those items too.

Occasional enrichment, such as an educational visit or specialist teacher, can involve an additional optional charge, and an activity may be reconsidered if contributions do not cover its cost. The fees and funding page explains this structure, allowing families to distinguish childcare hours from food, consumables and occasional activities.

• The new lodge. The September 2026 move followed the November 2024 judgement at the community centre. Use a visit to explore how the lodge's indoor space and outdoor access support your child's day.
• Individual learning targets. In November 2024, some targets needed to be more specific, and ongoing quality checks needed further development. Ask how the key worker now selects your child's next steps and reviews whether they are helping.
• Snacks and consumables. The donation is optional, but declining it means supplying suitable alternatives. Families managing allergies should discuss current snack arrangements and the Safer Eating policy before choosing that route.
• School-site attendance. Morning and afternoon sessions serve different routines from a full day, and a place at playgroup does not secure Reception admission. Consider both the childcare timetable and the separate school application.

The Reddings Playgroup suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full days, with practical learning and an active role for parents. Its curriculum translates independence and communication into recognisable everyday experiences, while the key-worker arrangement and Tapestry make family communication concrete.

The November 2024 Good judgement provides a useful assessment of the earlier provision, with clear development points around individual targets and quality monitoring. For families considering the new lodge, the decision rests on how those educational priorities now work in the changed premises, alongside the session timetable and separate arrangements for snacks and consumables.