St Peter's Under 5s

Playgroup independence and a school-ground setting come together at St Peter's Under 5s. This charity-run Gloucester setting caters for children aged two to four, with capacity for 26 children in total. It operates independently of St Peter's Primary School, while using the school surroundings for outdoor learning and helping children prepare for the move into Reception. The distinction matters: sharing a site does not make the playgroup part of the school.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective. The practical character is a term-time playgroup with both shorter sessions and whole-day attendance, rather than a nursery built around year-round care. Its strongest details concern everyday independence: children making choices about snack, handling their belongings and learning how to take turns. There is also a clear improvement priority around giving older children enough challenge.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the baseline for children's learning and care: play, communication and practical experiences support their development. Here, the session structure distinguishes Rising 3's, which combines planned activities with freely chosen play, from Preschool, which extends children's learning and independent skills in preparation for school. These are session groups, rather than named rooms.

Choice is part of the younger children's day. Rising 3's lets children join an organised activity or pursue their own play, with opportunities to practise social interaction and encounter new experiences. Preschool retains that balance of adult planning and free play, while placing more emphasis on doing things independently. For parents, the useful distinction is how the activities develop as children approach school age.

In July 2025, a sensory tray gave children opportunities to move water between small containers using pipettes. That is a concrete route into the hand control needed for writing. Staff also brought mathematical ideas into the activity through questions about filling containers and measuring quantities, connecting early number language with something children could handle and explore.

The same visit captured a practical approach to sharing. Staff used a sand timer to help children take turns and talked them through disagreements. Children could see when a turn would end, rather than relying only on an adult's instruction.

Outdoor and Community Life

Nature school uses the school grounds, giving children outdoor experiences alongside familiarity with the wider site. The playgroup also holds fundraising events that invite community involvement, reflecting its charity-run model. These are two different connections beyond the playgroup itself: one supports children's experiences, while the other brings families and the community into sustaining the setting.

Relationships and Communication

At the July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children settled readily and formed trusting relationships with staff, while parents valued communication and tailored support, including help with toileting and special educational needs and/or disabilities. The important detail is the practical adjustment to an individual child's needs, rather than a general promise of support.

In July 2025, snack routines also gave children responsibility. A bell announced snack time, and children used their name or photograph to join a visual board with six spaces. They washed their hands, collected trays and put their pots back into their bags afterwards. The six spaces described that snack arrangement, not the size of a room or the whole playgroup.

Parents and carers can request access to a closed Facebook group, with management checking responses to security questions before admitting them. This provides a separate parent communication route alongside direct contact with the playgroup.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The staff structure includes a SENCO lead and designated safeguarding lead roles. St Peter's has also taken part in Gloucestershire’s Early Years Enhanced Inclusion Support Offer, a pilot involving additional funding, specialist help and staff training. That describes a concrete mechanism for developing inclusion practice; it is not a guarantee about an individual child's experience.

Children bring lunchboxes and fruit snacks, while the playgroup supplies a savoury snack, milk and water during morning sessions. It publishes a nut-free policy, so allergy-affected families should discuss current practice before attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Horton Road, Gloucester, GL1 3PY, within the grounds of St Peter's Catholic Primary School. Early-years provision is term-time only and serves children aged two to four.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am, and afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Whole-day attendance has two alternatives: 8.45am to 3.15pm or 9am to 3pm. Monday and Wednesday are Preschool days with whole-day attendance; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday have mixed sessions, including morning, afternoon and whole-day patterns. That day-by-day distinction matters for families choosing shorter attendance as well as those arranging a school-length day.

Breakfast Club and After School Club are separate provision for children aged four to eleven. Breakfast Club runs from 7.15am to 8.45am; after-school care runs from 3.05pm to 5.45pm Monday to Thursday, ending at 5pm on Friday. Staff take children to school in the morning and collect them from the school hall afterwards. These clubs should be distinguished from the early-years session choices.

The contact form provides an enquiry route. Families can also telephone 01452 385051.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered alongside paid sessions. The funding arrangements include 15 hours for children aged three and over, beginning in the term after their third birthday, and an additional 15 hours for qualifying working families under the 30 hour entitlement. Some two-year-olds may qualify for funding too. Attendance follows the playgroup's term-time model; eligibility depends on the relevant entitlement.

Parents supply a fruit snack for morning attendance and a lunchbox for afternoon attendance, bringing both for a whole day. Nappies also come from home, along with a named water bottle, spare clothing, wet suit and welly boots. Current prices should come in the playgroup's written quotation; its fees and funding information sets out the paid-session structure.

For transition, the playgroup describes links with St Peter's Catholic Primary School: Reception teachers visit during the summer term, and children who will attend that school can visit their classrooms for a story with their new teacher. Attendance at the playgroup does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

• Challenge for older children. In July 2025, staff did not consistently recognise when older or more able children needed harder learning tasks. During a visit, ask how Preschool activities now extend a child who is ready to move further.
• Term-time and day choice. Monday and Wednesday are Preschool whole-day days, while the mixed days also offer morning and afternoon attendance. Match the actual weekly pattern to your childcare needs, including school holidays.
• Food and belongings. Lunchboxes, fruit and nappies come from home, and the playgroup publishes a nut-free policy. Families managing allergies should confirm how that policy works in daily practice.
• School transition. Classroom visits support children already heading to St Peter's Catholic Primary School. Attending the playgroup does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority.

St Peter's Under 5s suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions as well as those wanting a whole school-length day. Its practical strengths lie in play-based learning, everyday independence and transition activities connected to the school site. The July 2025 Good judgement supports that picture, with an important qualification: older children's learning needs more consistent extension. For a family whose attendance needs fit the weekly pattern, the combination of shorter sessions, whole days and an independent charity-run playgroup has clear appeal.