Stratton Playgroup

A woodland walk, a polytunnel and a place for quiet rest give Stratton Playgroup a character that goes beyond its main playroom. Sharing a site with Bude's Stratton Primary School, this parent-supported charity combines outdoor activity with practical ways to help children communicate, become independent and settle at their own pace.

At its 3 May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good overall, while identifying improvements needed in older children's concentration, outdoor mathematics and literacy, and opportunities to hear stories. Those points matter alongside the attractions. The playgroup has 23 places in total and accepts children aged 2 to 5; capacity is a whole-setting figure, rather than the size of an individual group.

Attendance is term-time, with morning and afternoon sessions plus Early Start and Lunch Club options. The parent committee is part of how the charity runs, and families can contribute through fundraising or sharing their skills.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes play across seven areas of learning. Cooking, gardening, singing and pretend play combine with creative and physical activities, adapted to children's development and interests. Child-chosen and adult-guided activities take place indoors and outside, giving children different ways to participate.

The healthy mover programme supports movement skills and physical development; the letter and sounds programme introduces sounds. Daily Letters and sounds activities target children aged 3 to 4, while weekly small-group planning addresses children's next steps.

In May 2023, toy insects and magnifying glasses followed children's interest in insects; counting attendance and snack votes gave number work a practical purpose. Weekly voting now covers snacks, pretend play, stories and where to read them, giving children a say in their day.

Outdoor and Community Life

Regular neighbouring-school visits extend outdoor exploration to a woodland walk, polytunnel and field/bike track. Families supply named wellies and weather-appropriate clothing.

In May 2023, children balanced on tyres and posts, built in the sandpit and rode vehicles around a playground road circuit with signs and a crossing. Most spent much of the session outside, but mathematics and literacy needed fuller coverage there. That matters for children who favour outdoor play.

Children can borrow library books for family reading. In May 2023, the library corner and lending collection were accompanied by too few opportunities for adults to read and tell stories.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's key person learns about home life, interests and preferences through a family information form. Parents can stay for as many settling sessions as needed, allowing a gradual start for children who find separation difficult.

The Famly app lets parents view photographs and observations and contribute their own. Key-person meetings cover development; monthly newsletters cover events. Children collect work and newsletters from individual drawers at session end, taking a small responsibility themselves.

An elected parent committee helps run the charity. Fundraising and sharing skills give families further ways to participate.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO and deputy SENCO are part of the staff structure. Development is assessed during settling and reviewed each term; individual education plans are revisited with parents, and staff work with professionals including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Makaton signs support communication throughout the day, alongside visual timetables, traffic-light prompts and timers that help explain changes of activity.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND achieved good outcomes and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. Current arrangements include designated safeguarding roles and Operation Encompass, a police and education partnership supporting children exposed to domestic abuse; early years workers also have paediatric first-aid training.

A sensory/quiet room provides lights, sensory objects and sleep mats for rest, as well as space away from busier activity. Low toilets, sensor-operated taps and an accessible toilet support personal care, while wide doorways provide wheelchair access to the building and outside area. These are concrete arrangements for families to weigh against their child's needs.

The big brush club is a daily morning toothbrushing scheme, with children brushing for two minutes. Children also help cut fruit and pour drinks. These routines give health and independence a place in ordinary activity rather than leaving them as abstract ideas.

School transition includes visits from class teachers, sharing developmental information and social stories using photographs to explain school routines. Additional transition meetings are arranged for children with SEND, giving families and receiving staff a specific opportunity to discuss support.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Early Start runs from 8.15am to 9am, with children attending it expected to be there by 8.30am; Lunch Club occupies noon to 12.30pm. These options can be combined for all-day attendance from 8.15am to 3.30pm.

Two-year-olds must attend at least two three-hour sessions each week. From the term after a child turns 3, the minimum becomes three three-hour sessions weekly. This is a meaningful booking commitment for families considering a very occasional introduction to group care. Early Start can be booked ahead, with some flexibility for last-minute arrangements.

The calendar follows Stratton Primary School's terms and includes inset closures. For autumn 2026, the half-term closure extends through 3 November, with 2 and 3 November designated inset days. Holiday and inset-day cover therefore needs to fit around the playgroup's calendar.

Getting There

The address is New Road, Stratton, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9AP, within Stratton Primary School's grounds and just off the A39. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01288 356135 or through the contact form, and families can contact the playgroup to join its waiting list.

Sharing the school site does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process; transition activities prepare children for school rather than conferring an admissions advantage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered during term time: up to 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds, up to 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, and up to 30 hours under the eligible working-family entitlement. The playgroup's accepted ages remain 2 to 5, even though the wider working-family entitlement covers younger children.

Early Start and Lunch Club can use a child's funded hours; they attract a separate fee if funding is used entirely for the main sessions or the child is unfunded. Breakfast is included with Early Start, while parents supply Lunch Club packed lunches; the playgroup supplies snacks and drinks and publishes a no-nuts policy. Parents also apply sun cream before attendance in hot weather.

Private fees are paid ahead, weekly, monthly or termly, and remain payable for illness, holidays and other absences; longer absences may be negotiated with the committee. Leaving before the academic year ends requires two weeks' written notice. A concession applies when more than one unfunded, fee-paying child from the same family attends at the same time. Current prices come in the playgroup's written quotation.

• Learning outdoors and sustained attention. May 2023 priorities included fuller outdoor mathematics and literacy, more storytelling and better support for older children's concentration. During a visit, ask how staff now address all three, especially for a child who favours outdoor play.
• The weekly commitment. The minimum rises from two three-hour sessions for two-year-olds to three from the term after turning 3. Match that commitment, the 3.30pm finish and term-time closures to your family's routine.
• Packed lunches and personal supplies. Lunch Club requires food from home, and the playgroup has a no-nuts policy. For a child with allergies or personal-care needs, confirm current allergy practice and who supplies nappies, wipes and any sun cream needed during the day.
• Settling and additional support. Parents can stay while children adjust, and the sensory/quiet room offers space for rest. Arrange a viewing through the playgroup and discuss how your child's key person and, where relevant, SENCO would use these arrangements.

Stratton Playgroup suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, with the option to combine them and add Early Start or Lunch Club. Its appeal lies in practical detail: regular use of neighbouring outdoor spaces, communication support, an adaptable settling process and ways for parents to participate.

The May 2023 learning priorities deserve attention alongside those strengths. For families comfortable with term-time attendance and the minimum weekly booking, this is a setting with a clear preschool identity and useful mechanisms for involving parents in care and development.