Bobtails Playgroup

Two gardens, a mud kitchen and a parent-led charity structure give Bobtails Playgroup a clear identity: preschool learning with outdoor play and family involvement built into the week. Its purpose-built setting stands in the grounds of St. Andrews School in Stanstead Abbotts. There is capacity for 30 children, a whole-setting figure rather than a promise about the size of any activity group.

Ofsted rated Bobtails Good at its inspection on 5 July 2021. The current offer centres on play, a key worker for each child and topics shaped by children’s interests. Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions serve different family routines during term time.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides learning through play, covering children’s communication, physical development, relationships and early understanding of literacy and mathematics. At Bobtails, a topic changes each half term in response to children’s interests. Recognising their own names, exploring colours and shapes, and counting give preschool children concrete starting points rather than an abstract learning agenda.

The daily routine alternates child-chosen play with adult-led activities and smaller-group work. Circle time brings children together; creative play and physical activity then give them different ways to take part. Stories, songs, mindfulness and yoga feature in the routine, with timings able to change around special activities. This is a recognisable rhythm rather than an uninterrupted sequence of organised tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

The front garden contains a wooden playhouse and mud kitchen, with water and sand for exploration. A canopy shelters the back play area, supporting outdoor activity across different weather conditions. Children play outside daily, and the routine includes movement between indoor activities and the gardens. Outdoor clothing matters here: families are asked to apply sunscreen and can leave wellies at the welly station.

Bobtails describes a relationship with St Andrews School that permits use of its playground and forest school, an outdoor learning space for exploration. Those shared spaces add another setting for movement and discovery beyond the playgroup’s gardens. Attendance at Bobtails does not guarantee a Reception place; applications for school places remain separate.

An annual summer outing invites parents and carers to join the children. Family participation therefore extends beyond progress meetings. The charity also raises funds through quiz and bingo nights, with proceeds supporting children’s resources and facilities.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker who observes their development, plans learning and talks with parents. This gives families a clear contact for both everyday questions and longer conversations about progress. Children also belong to a colour group and have personal storage for their belongings, helping make the setting’s routine recognisable.

Settling has a definite starting point: families are asked to leave their child at the first session, while staff use distraction strategies. If a child remains distressed, an individual plan can be discussed with the key worker. Families whose child needs a gradual introduction should explore that arrangement before starting.

Tapestry shares photographs of children’s learning with parents. Class Dojo carries important messages and updates about activities, while termly consultations provide time to discuss development. Learning journals collect photographs, artwork and progress information and become a keepsake for families. Together, these routes give parents both brief updates and a fuller account of their child’s experiences.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Bobtails has a SENCO role and welcomes children with additional needs, working with parents and carers. The practical conversation is about the individual child: what support they need, how staff will provide it and how the family and key worker will stay in touch.

Safeguarding arrangements include regular staff training, designated safeguarding officers and a collection password system. Bobtails also participates in Operation Encompass, a scheme linking education settings and police forces. These are arrangements for supporting children and managing information, rather than a current inspection judgement about their effectiveness.

A wheelchair-accessible entrance, a separate accessible toilet with changing facilities and child-sized toilets support the practicalities of the day. Parents provide snacks and packed lunches for children staying to eat; milk and water are offered, and Bobtails sets a nut-free policy for snacks and lunches.

Sessions and Attendance

Bobtails Playgroup is at 8a Roydon Road, Stanstead Abbotts, Ware, SG12 8EZ. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01920 871273 or by email to playleader@bobtailsplaygroup.org.uk.

The booking choices are a morning session from 8.45am to 11.45am, an afternoon session from 11.45am to 2.45pm, and an all-day session from 8.45am to 2.45pm. Lunch Club runs from 11.45am to 1pm; a Top Up Session extends the day from 2.45pm to 3.10pm. These are useful distinctions for families arranging shorter attendance or a day that includes lunch.

At least two sessions a week are recommended, rather than presented as a compulsory minimum. Attendance follows a term calendar with half-term breaks and staff training closures. Some term-end days finish early, so families need to build those changes into their childcare arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Bobtails accepts 15-hour funding, funding for eligible two-year-olds and 30-hour funding where applicable. Funded hours can be spread across the week, and session choices can form part of those hours. Eligibility remains a condition, not an assurance that every family qualifies.

Paid sessions are also offered. Request a current written quotation from the nursery; the fees and funding page explains the session choices. Parents supply snacks and lunches, including for children using funded hours, and replenish nappies and wipes in their child’s bag. These supplies need to be considered alongside attendance when planning the weekly routine.

• Term-time cover. The calendar includes half-term breaks, training days and early term-end finishes. Families needing continuous weekday care should plan around these interruptions.
• Settling arrangements. The starting routine asks parents to leave at the first session, with individual plans discussed if needed. At a visit, explore how that would work for your child.
• Food and allergies. Snacks and lunches come from home under a nut-free policy. Allergy-affected families should confirm current handling arrangements before attendance.
• Parent participation. Bobtails depends on a volunteer committee and fundraising, and parents are invited on the summer outing. Consider whether this participatory charity model fits the involvement you want.

Bobtails suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting an all-day option within a term-time calendar. Its strongest practical attractions are the two outdoor areas, the key-worker relationship and several ways for parents to follow learning.

The Good judgement dates to July 2021. The decision today rests on how well the concrete arrangements fit your child: outdoor play across the seasons, food supplied from home and a charity that gives families an active role.