George's Playgroup

A self-contained playgroup within Harewood Infant School's grounds, George's combines its own indoor and outdoor space with a clear emphasis on play, exploration and growing independence. This is a charity setting run through a committee, taking children from age two until they move to primary school. It has capacity for 24 children in total.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated George's Playgroup Good overall, with stronger planning for the most able children identified as the improvement priority. That distinction matters: the positive judgement comes with a specific question about how learning is extended for children ready for more challenge.

Attendance is term-time, with separate toddler afternoons and preschool mornings, plus a longer Friday option for preschool children. The age-based timetable is central to deciding whether George's fits family life.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes learning here through play and exploration, covering children's communication, physical development, relationships and early literacy and mathematics. Child-chosen activities sit alongside experiences organised by adults, indoors and outside. For parents, that means learning is woven into what children do rather than confined to a formal teaching session.

In June 2023, children chose tape measures to compare measurements of other children and adults. This gave an everyday purpose to mathematical language and measurement. During letters-and-sounds activities, children also brought objects from home beginning with a particular letter and shared them with the group, linking familiar possessions with early literacy.

The physical experiences were equally concrete. In June 2023, puzzles and mark-making activities gave children practice using their hands, while large play equipment provided opportunities to climb. Dance and yoga added other ways to move. These are different kinds of activity, useful for families whose children enjoy both quieter table-based tasks and energetic play.

Challenge deserves attention alongside choice. In June 2023, structured activities did not consistently take the most able children's learning far enough. The improvement priority was more precise next steps, so children already confident with a task would have something further to work towards.

Outdoor and Community Life

George's has its own outdoor space, and garden time extends across different weather conditions. Parents provide suitable sun cream for their child and a named sun hat, with permission for staff to reapply the supplied cream during sessions. Outdoor play therefore has practical preparation attached to it.

Weekly cooking activities are covered by the voluntary consumables contribution. There are also occasional activities associated with Mother's Day, Easter and Christmas, rather than a promise of a fixed weekly event timetable. These give children experiences beyond their usual play materials, while the contribution arrangement lets parents choose whether to participate financially or supply items themselves.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key worker responsible for development, assessments and communication with their family. Changes to that person are discussed with parents. That creates a clear point of contact for questions about a child's day and progress.

The Learning Journey is a paper book containing observations, photographs, achievements and next steps, which the child takes home when leaving. It gives families a tangible account of their time at playgroup. My School Office is the consent-based text service for collective news and reminders; it carries no additional charge, and parents can withdraw their number.

In June 2023, parent meetings and development updates included practical advice about toileting and sleep routines. Children also handled everyday responsibilities at snack time: distributing plates, choosing food, pouring drinks and helping clear tables. These small tasks made independence something to practise during the session.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective and found that children learning English as an additional language were supported through family relationships, picture-based routines and cards that helped them communicate their needs. These were concrete support mechanisms at that time, rather than a general promise about every child's experience.

Current arrangements include a procedure for unexplained absence: staff contact parents, then emergency contacts if necessary, and may progress to a welfare check when contact cannot be established. Families therefore need to notify the playgroup promptly when their child will miss a session.

Snacks include fruit, vegetables, toast and cereal, funded through the voluntary contribution or supplied by parents who opt out; children attending all day on Friday bring their own healthy lunchbox. The playgroup requests nut-free lunchboxes and accommodates dietary needs where possible.

Sessions and Attendance

Preschool sessions serve the year before primary school: mornings run from 8.45am to 11.45am, Monday to Friday, with an all-day Friday session from 8.45am to 2.45pm. Toddler sessions run from 12.15pm to 2.45pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, accepting children from age two until their move into preschool.

There is no minimum number of sessions to book, although at least two each week are recommended to help children settle. George's opens for 38 weeks and follows the term pattern of Harewood Infant and Junior School. This provides a school-term rhythm, with the longer day restricted to the preschool Friday option.

The address is Harewood Infant School, Harewood Close, Tuffley, Gloucester, GL4 0SS. Enquiries can be made by telephone, text or email, and families complete an application and booking form.

Although it occupies school grounds, the playgroup is separate from the schools. Attending George's does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

Funding and Paid Extras

George's accepts 15 or 30 hours of funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds through universal, working or targeted entitlement, subject to personal circumstances. Delivery is term-time. Non-funded sessions and hours beyond a child's funded entitlement are charged privately, with invoices issued each half term; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

The voluntary consumables contribution covers snacks, cooking and some additional activities, along with other supplied consumables. Parents who opt out bring snacks, nappies and wipes and may need to supply activity items; sun cream is parent-provided, and Friday lunch remains a packed lunch from home. These arrangements also apply alongside funded attendance, so funded hours and the family's food or consumables choices are separate decisions.

A refundable starter fee includes a book bag, T-shirt and Learning Journey. Refunds must be requested after the first full term and cannot be claimed during the summer term unless the child started in that term. Fees remain payable during sickness or holidays, and at least two weeks' notice is required to leave or change attendance hours. The sessions and charges page explains the main charging structure.

• Age-based attendance. Toddler afternoons, preschool mornings and the preschool Friday day serve different needs. At a show-round, discuss how the transition between toddler and preschool sessions would work for your child and timetable; children can accompany parents.
• Stretch for confident learners. In June 2023, the improvement priority was clearer planning to stretch children already learning confidently. Ask how a familiar activity is extended once a child has mastered it.
• Food and contribution choices. The consumables donation is voluntary, with home-supplied alternatives for families who opt out and a packed lunch on all-day Fridays. Families managing allergies should confirm current snack and lunchbox practice.

George's suits families seeking toddler afternoon sessions or preschool mornings within the school terms, with the option of a longer preschool Friday. Its own indoor and outdoor space, paper Learning Journey and clear key-worker responsibilities give the offer practical substance.

The timetable needs to fit first. Educationally, the June 2023 improvement priority concerned extending activities for children ready for greater challenge, a qualification to the positive overall judgement.