St Mary's Playgroup

A private garden used daily, Monday Forest School and access to the neighbouring school's playing field give St Mary's Playgroup a clear outdoor thread. This small, committee-run charity on Burkitt Road in Woodbridge has capacity for 27 children in total. Its appeal rests on the combination of everyday play, outdoor exploration and practical support for children learning to manage their feelings.

At its 22 April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good and judged safeguarding effective. The improvement point was specific: children needed more help to understand why hygiene matters to their health. That makes everyday care routines, as well as activities, a useful subject for a family visit.

Playgroup provision serves children aged two to four, alongside before- and after-school care for older children. Morning, afternoon, school-day and all-day bookings provide different ways to use the setting; the detail matters more than the overall opening window.

Learning and Activities

Forest School brings child-led learning into natural spaces, with practical exploration rather than a fixed finished product. St Mary's sessions take place on Mondays, delivered by Little Tress Forest School, which works with both playgroups. The shared programme includes investigating, climbing, making things and solving problems outdoors. It complements the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework for children's learning, development and care, with play and exploration helping children practise physical, social and communication skills.

There is concrete substance behind the outdoor emphasis. In April 2024, children learnt to care for small creatures and to leave outdoor areas free of rubbish. Uneven ground offered opportunities to practise balance, while a slack line and hammock introduced physical challenges. These were tasks children could become more confident at through practice, rather than activities built around everyone producing the same result.

Children generally choose their own activities and work towards completing them, alongside some adult-led experiences. This gives them practice in making choices and persisting with a task.

At the end of the school-day sessions, carpet time brings children together for a story, singing or musical instruments. These shared moments give a different rhythm from individual play: listening, joining in and doing something alongside other children. In April 2024, sensory activities also held children's attention for sustained periods, with children exchanging ideas and tackling problems together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The secure private garden is used every day, so outdoor play extends beyond the Monday programme. St Mary's also has access to the large playing field at St Mary's Church of England Primary School next door. Those are separate opportunities: an everyday garden within the playgroup and access to a larger outdoor space through its school relationship.

All-weather Forest School requires waterproof footwear, trousers, warm layers and spare clothes for muddy activities. Puddle suits are supplied, although families can send their own.

Relationships and Communication

In April 2024, staff adjusted their settling support to children's differing stages of development. They responded calmly when children became upset and stepped in before disputes grew. Repeated reminders about rules, together with help sharing and taking turns, gave children practical ways to manage being part of a group. The emphasis was on learning how to handle a difficult moment, rather than simply stopping it.

In April 2024, staff tailored small-group activities to individual needs. Smaller groups helped ease sensory overload and supported engagement, a practical consideration for children who find busy surroundings demanding.

Tapestry, the online learning journey used for recording children's experiences, gives parents access to observations and photographs through an individual account. The application process gathers information about home languages, additional needs, medical conditions and dietary requirements. It also invites details of professionals already involved with a child, with parents informed if those professionals are contacted. Sharing that information helps the setting start with a fuller picture of the child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator sought professional advice and made referrals promptly, and that children with SEND made good progress. Support funding was being used for closer adult attention and individual time with key staff. This is the most useful quality evidence for families considering additional support: it links the coordinator's work to concrete arrangements for children.

Current staff roles include a SENCO, a designated safeguarding lead and a deputy safeguarding lead, assigning responsibility for additional needs and safeguarding.

Independence also featured in April 2024. Children selected their snacks, and some practised pouring drinks with adult help. The hygiene improvement point belongs alongside that positive detail: doing a task independently and understanding the health reasons behind it are different steps. Both matter in ordinary routines that children will continue using beyond playgroup.

Sessions and Attendance

St Mary's is at Burkitt Road, Woodbridge, IP12 4JJ. Its term-time sessions run on weekdays, and bookings must cover at least a half-term. Families can choose different sessions across the week, so the booking rule concerns the period of commitment rather than requiring one identical daily pattern.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. The school-day booking runs from 9am to 3pm; all-day childcare runs from 7.45am to 6pm. These are materially different choices: a short session, a day matching school hours, or care extending into the early morning and evening.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 9am for playgroup children and from 7.45am to 8.50am for school children. After School Club runs from 3.20pm to 6pm for playgroup children and from 3.30pm to 6pm for school children, with shorter school-child options ending at 5pm. Optional extensions also allow a morning session to continue until 12.20pm or an afternoon session until 3.20pm.

Before- and after-school provision serves children aged four to eleven from St Mary's Church of England Primary School. St Mary's describes its relationship with the neighbouring school as strong links; attending the playgroup does not guarantee a school place, and families still apply through the local authority admissions process. Access to the playing field is a practical benefit, not an admissions entitlement.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds. Acceptance of 30-hour funding for eligible three- and four-year-olds depends on availability. The application form offers term-time funding and stretched attendance across the year. Funding and the booking pattern should therefore be considered together, rather than assuming the entitlement automatically matches every session combination.

Private sessions are offered alongside funded childcare. Snacks carry a separate charge, while the all-day fee includes a cooked hot meal; parents supply lunch for the optional extension after a morning session. Funded sessions carry a separate charge covering snacks and other consumables. That distinction matters when comparing the overall arrangement, because funded hours and additional items are separate parts of the bill.

Non-funded playgroup applications carry a registration charge. Current prices come in the playgroup's written quotation, allowing families to compare the chosen sessions and relevant extras together. Applications can be submitted by email or brought to the setting, and the contact page provides an enquiry route.

• Attendance calendar. Term-time opening is stated alongside application options for year-round attendance, giving different accounts of the calendar. At a visit, agree which dates and holiday arrangements apply to the particular booking.
• Monday outdoor sessions. Forest School takes place on Mondays and runs in all weathers, with puddle suits supplied. Consider whether that day fits your intended attendance and how clothing changes are managed afterwards.
• Everyday hygiene. In April 2024, children needed more explanation of how hygiene protects their health. Ask how staff now build that understanding into snack and other care routines.
• School connection. Playing-field access and strong links with the neighbouring primary school are useful practical connections. Keep the separate local authority school application in your plans: playgroup attendance does not guarantee admission.

St Mary's suits families seeking morning or afternoon playgroup sessions, as well as those using a school-day or all-day pattern. Its clearest character comes from the daily garden, Monday Forest School and a school relationship with a tangible outdoor benefit. The April 2024 picture also gives substance to its support for emotional regulation and additional needs.

The half-term booking commitment and attendance calendar deserve close attention when choosing a pattern. For a family whose timetable fits, this is a small charitable setting with purposeful outdoor learning and practical support woven into ordinary playgroup routines.