St John's Church Playgroup

St John's Church Playgroup is a 32-place sessional setting at St. Johns Church, Danson Lane, Welling, DA16 2BQ. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, judged it Good in every assessed area and found safeguarding effective. The strongest thread was close, respectful relationships: children settled into routines, built bonds with gentle staff and became confident alongside their friends.

This is an inspection-led portrait rather than a guide to the current timetable. In February 2023, children had easy access to a garden and a broad curriculum shaped around what they could already do and needed to learn next.

In February 2023, learning moved between sensory exploration, stories, singing, painting, construction and mark-making. Outdoors, children investigated the speed of toy cars, noticed cobwebs, and counted painted fish by size and colour. These are small but revealing examples of staff turning children's attention towards language, number and the natural world.

The curriculum followed the Early Years Foundation Stage: staff used children's starting points and next steps to plan experiences across communication, physical, personal, social and wider learning. Older children discussed the days of the week and weather, matched numbers to amounts and counted. Younger children explored sensory resources, with patient guidance when equipment was unfamiliar. Yoga and independent access to the garden added movement and physical confidence.

In February 2023, staff helped children form strong bonds and used new vocabulary to develop confident talkers, including children learning English as an additional language. Parents told the inspector that staff shared learning information and ideas for home, and reported progress in speech and social skills. Cultural festivals and children's backgrounds were woven into practice, giving inclusion a concrete place in the curriculum.

Safeguarding was effective at that inspection. Staff understood how to respond to concerns, while suitability checks, risk assessments and daily checks supported the arrangements. Two improvements matter: group times needed sharper support for children who took longer to settle and join in, and younger children's shape vocabulary needed more consistent extension.

The playgroup is based at St. Johns Church on Danson Lane in Welling and has capacity for 32 children. In February 2023, children shared fruit, vegetables and breadsticks and poured their own water or milk, building everyday independence. Current session patterns, accepted ages, food arrangements, funded-hours terms and nursery-specific pricing all need to be established before a family makes a decision.

• Session fit. Ask which days and session lengths are currently offered and whether the pattern matches the hours your family needs.
• Settling into groups. The February 2023 inspection asked staff to strengthen engagement for children who took longer to settle into adult-led group times. Families whose child needs a gradual transition should discuss how that support now works.
• Practical costs. Request a written breakdown covering funded hours, meals, snacks and non-food consumables, so the full arrangement is clear before accepting a place.

Warm relationships and purposeful, everyday learning were the clearest strengths in February 2023. The garden investigations, yoga, number work and patient language support show a playgroup where ordinary moments were used intelligently. It is best suited to families seeking sessional care in Welling who value a small-capacity setting and whose preferred days and hours fit the playgroup’s current sessional arrangement.