St Mary's Playgroup, Tetbury

A pack-away church hall and a Forest School site with a yurt give St Mary's Playgroup, Tetbury two very different settings for children's play. Indoors, resources are organised into zones that staff refresh around children's interests. Outdoors, tree climbing, den building and a planting station make exploration tangible. This is a community playgroup with parents involved in its running, rather than simply customers of its childcare.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Outstanding, with Outstanding judgements across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. There are 24 places in total. Children can begin playgroup mornings from two, with longer days introduced from two years nine months; Tuesday's preschool session is for the year before school.

Flexible term-time attendance includes mornings, afternoons and all-day sessions, alongside separate Forest School mornings for children aged three and over.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play is used to build language, physical skills, relationships and growing independence. St Mary's adds a planning in the moment approach, with accessible resources indoors and outside so practitioners can respond to what interests children. The hall's different zones each have a staff member responsible for keeping materials fresh and developing children's skills and language.

Free play occupies the morning, with access between inside and outside. Children can choose when to have their snack rather than stop an absorbing activity immediately. Towards lunchtime, tidying gives way to a shared story, singing or a quieter group moment. The structure is adaptable to the children attending, so the timetable supports play rather than constantly interrupting it.

In March 2024, making gloop led children to investigate measuring jugs. Staff introduced ounces and container filling, giving mathematical language a practical purpose.

In March 2024, pictures and adult prompts helped children manage belongings, drinks and handwashing. Sharing meaningful objects from home gave them practice in speaking and listening.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School means hands-on learning in a natural setting, with play, exploration and supported risk-taking. Here it includes bug hunting, constructing dens and making obstacle courses from wood. The site also has tree swings, a slack line, a trapeze and a mud kitchen; children can cook over an open fire with an adult and explore growing things at the planting station.

A large yurt with a log burner provides shelter in colder weather, while trees and tarpaulins provide shade in summer. These physical features give outdoor sessions a practical base across the seasons. The playgroup's Forest School sessions take place on the grounds of Holford House, on the edge of town, with Wednesday and Thursday mornings serving children aged three and over.

The hall's outdoor area is more compact. In March 2024, children used it daily, including imaginative sand play and building an obstacle course from planks and crates. They considered how to position the pieces and keep them balanced. Families weighing up outdoor provision should distinguish this smaller everyday space from the separate Forest School site.

Town walks include the Library, with opportunities to visit Westonbirt Arboretum, the Fire Station and St Mary's Primary School. The school visit is an experience, not an admissions advantage. Tuesday's preschool sessions also include contact with future teachers and visits to a local school, giving preparation for the next stage a concrete form.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before a child starts, with a back-up contact when that practitioner is absent. The arrangement can change if a child forms a closer attachment to someone else. This gives families a main relationship while allowing the child's own response to guide it.

Home visits and short stay-and-play experiences form part of settling. A parent, carer or close relative is expected to stay for most of the session during the first week, potentially longer, with separation increased as the child becomes ready. Shorter initial sessions are also encouraged. The emphasis is on building familiarity before extending separation, rather than expecting every child to manage the same first day. In March 2024, leaders and key persons were visiting families at home before children started.

Famly, the parent portal for care information and communication, provides end-of-day photographs and videos. These give children something concrete to discuss at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong support for children with SEND, including coordination between the SENCo, parents and other professionals to put support strategies in place and prepare for school transitions. The current manager also holds the SENCO role, giving that responsibility a clear place in the leadership structure.

The nursery says its behaviour approach emphasises calm conversation at a child's level, visual rule cards and specific praise. For persistent difficulties, staff record possible triggers and agree a Positive behaviour plan with parents, reviewing it each half term. Families therefore have a defined mechanism for discussing recurring concerns and adjusting support together.

The safeguarding policy assigns lead and deputy responsibilities. Staff training includes paediatric first aid and Forest School.

Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch; snacks are provided during the day. The playgroup's allergy policy asks families to exclude peanut products from lunchboxes and provides for discussion of alternative snacks for specific dietary needs.

Sessions and Attendance

The playgroup operates from Christchurch Hall, The Chipping, Tetbury, GL8 8EU. Its attendance model is flexible and term-time: indoor morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoon sessions from 1pm to 3pm, and lunch club bridges noon to 1pm. An early start at 8.30am and a later finish extend the day on the relevant session days.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings accept children from two. Longer all-day attendance starts from two years nine months; Tuesday is reserved for preschool children, while Wednesday's indoor morning is for children below the preschool year. Friday's pattern ends after the morning or lunch club rather than including an afternoon session.

Forest School mornings run on Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to noon, with an 8.30am early start and lunch club until 1pm as options. Families can combine indoor and Forest School attendance or request either separately. The session request form does not guarantee the requested booking, and the waiting-list process involves contact before the preferred start date if a place can be offered.

Enquiries begin with a completed form returned by email or delivered to the playgroup. Seedlings Baby & Toddler Group is a separate, accompanied group on Monday mornings, from 9am to 11am, at the front of Christ Church opposite the Chipping car park. Activities, crafts, snacks and group singing let prospective children become familiar with staff while their parent or carer stays.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted from age two where eligible, or from the term after a child's third birthday. Private attendance is also offered, with consumables charged separately by the hour. Lunches come from home; the funded booking and its additional charges should be understood together rather than treating funding as an inclusive childcare package.

A non-refundable registration charge applies when a family proceeds with registration. Current prices come in the playgroup's written quotation; the sessions and fee information explains the attendance and charge structure.

• Two outdoor settings. The hall has a limited outside area, while Forest School uses Holford House grounds. At a visit, discuss how your child's proposed indoor and outdoor sessions would fit together.
• Settling takes family time. Home visits, accompanied settling and shorter initial attendance are part of the approach. Discuss the likely settling pattern against your own work commitments.
• Funding and food. Parents provide packed lunches, and non-food consumables carry a separate hourly charge. What charges would apply to your exact funded booking, and how would any allergy requirements be managed in current practice?
• Parent participation. A parent committee runs this non-profit playgroup, and families are encouraged to contribute skills and support fundraising. Consider how much involvement you would enjoy alongside your child's attendance.

St Mary's suits families seeking morning sessions or longer term-time days, with the option to add separate Forest School mornings as children get older. Its strongest practical combination is a gradual start, a clear key-person relationship and outdoor learning with substantial equipment beyond the hall's smaller outside space.

Its March 2024 Outstanding judgement supports the choice; parent participation makes the community connection a practical commitment too.