Eastern Green Pre-School Playgroup

A village hall, an enclosed outdoor play area and a parent committee give Eastern Green Pre-School Playgroup its character. This charity-run, non-profit preschool serves children aged two to four in Eastern Green, Coventry. Parents have a role beyond collecting artwork: the committee helps keep the setting running.

At its 6 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding, with effective safeguarding and an ambitious curriculum that supported children with additional needs. That judgement is dated; the current offer combines play-based learning, daily outdoor play and a key person for each child. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning, development and care, with children learning through play and activities shaped around their individual needs. Here, staff build on children's interests rather than treating play as a break from learning. Observations guide activity planning, so what a child does and enjoys helps shape their next experiences.

In May 2022, pretend dentistry brought health education into play: children used model teeth, tools and dough fillings while learning about sugar and dental health. Other role-play involved dressing dolls for outdoor trips and preparing pretend meals with fresh vegetables. These were practical ways to connect imagination with familiar routines, giving children something concrete to talk about and act out.

Conversation also had a deliberate place in the May 2022 nursery day. Children encountered new descriptive vocabulary through activities, with opportunities to talk individually and in small groups. They approached a visitor, introduced themselves and shared their experiences. The useful detail is the opportunity to practise speaking for themselves, rather than simply answering an adult's questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

The village hall provides a large indoor space alongside the enclosed outdoor play area. Children go outdoors daily, and painting, mud play and climbing equipment are part of the practical arrangements families prepare for. Wellington boots stay at preschool; suitable clothing allows children to join messy activities with less concern about keeping clothes pristine.

Short outings can take children to local shops or the post box, linking preschool projects with ordinary places beyond the hall. Larger trips require families to meet at the destination using their own transport. That distinction matters when planning participation: an outing can involve a parent's travel arrangements as well as the child's preschool session.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person, and parents are invited to help with settling. Information supplied when a child starts contributes to an initial assessment, followed by observations that guide planning. Each child also has a learning photo journal, giving families a record of experiences rather than relying only on a brief conversation at collection.

Communication includes consultations, newsletters, photographs and displays. Parents can access their child's records through staff, while sensitive conversations can take place privately in the office. Stay-and-play participation is welcomed too. These arrangements create several ways for families to share what is happening at home and understand what their child is doing at preschool.

In May 2022, children tried to settle disagreements themselves and sought adult help when that did not work. Staff recognised early signs of distress and intervened to help children manage their feelings. Those observations describe an inspection-time approach in which social learning involved both independence and adult support.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged the curriculum effective in helping children with additional needs progress from their starting points. Current support mechanisms include a special educational needs coordinator, advice from area coordinators and joint working with health, education and local-authority professionals. Concerns are discussed with parents so that support can be planned together.

Designated safeguarding leads, regular safeguarding training and paediatric first-aid training form part of the staffing arrangements. Collection requires an authorised adult and a password. Children can keep a comfort toy during their session, and private toilet cubicles support increasing independence with personal care.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Village Hall, Church Lane, Coventry, CV5 7BX. Attendance is term time only, Monday to Friday, with closure during school holidays. Opening begins at 8.30am; Monday and Thursday finish at 12.30pm, while Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday finish at 3pm.

Morning sessions finish at 11.30am, with starting options of 8.30am, 8.45am or 9am. Lunch club runs from 11.30am to 12.30pm and can extend a morning session. Afternoon attendance runs from 12.30pm to 3pm, with a lunch-plus-afternoon option beginning at 11.30am. Full days use the same morning start choices and finish at 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Applications involve completing a form and returning an acceptance slip. Where requests exceed capacity, allocation follows accepted applications. Once booked, sessions can be changed only with the manager's agreement where the attendance arrangements allow it. This is a choice of session patterns, rather than an unrestricted ability to rearrange attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15-hour funding from the term after a child's third birthday, qualifying two-year-old Targeted/Extended funding and 30-hour funding. Delivery is term time, for up to 38 weeks a year; the preschool can claim a maximum of 27.5 hours because of its operating hours and other hall users. Eligible families using the extended entitlement therefore need to distinguish their entitlement from the hours this setting can deliver.

Private hours, including hours beyond funding, are charged, with invoices payable monthly in advance. Missed booked sessions remain chargeable, and ending a place requires one month's written notice. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Families supply packed lunches, while snacks include fruit, vegetables and milk or water, supported by voluntary donations. The preschool operates a no-nut policy covering nuts and peanut spread.

Parents provide nappies, wipes and nappy sacks; voluntary donations also support tissues, wipes and other resources. Families apply sun cream before morning attendance, and preschool applies it after lunch for full-day children, with parental consent and a parent's own product where needed.

• Term-time coverage. Monday and Thursday end at lunchtime, and school holidays are closed. Match the shorter days and holiday breaks to your family's childcare arrangements.
• Funding ceiling. Participation in 30-hour funding comes with a 27.5-hour claim limit here. Establish how your intended sessions fit that limit before accepting a place.
• Settling into the hall. Parents can take part in settling and stay-and-play sessions. At a visit, ask how the key person would support your child's first sessions in the shared hall space.
• Food allergies. Packed lunches come from home and the preschool has a no-nut policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm current practice and their child's arrangements before starting.

Eastern Green suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon attendance or full days within a term-time preschool routine. The enclosed outdoor area, individual learning journals and parent committee give that offer a practical identity. Its Outstanding judgement dates from May 2022; the strongest reasons to choose it now are the clear attendance choices, key-person arrangements and opportunities for parents to participate. The shorter opening days and funded-hours ceiling need to fit the family's week.