Hempstead Pavilion Playgroup

A sports pavilion devoted entirely to preschool care, with parkland beyond its own secure outdoor space, gives Hempstead Pavilion Playgroup a clear character. Soft play, supervised use of the playing fields and access to the park make outdoor activity part of the offer. This is a setting where the surroundings matter to the day.

Based at Hempstead Playing Fields in Gillingham, it welcomes children aged two to four and has 24 places in total. At its February 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the playgroup Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical attractions are its outdoor opportunities, emphasis on independence and term-time attendance, with full-day, Early Starter, morning and afternoon sessions.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children develop communication, physical abilities and other areas of learning through their activities and relationships with adults. It is the common foundation for early-years provision. Here, choosing resources and managing small tasks give that framework a concrete shape.

Picture cards let children select activities, while dressing up, puzzles, building blocks and a discovery area provide opportunities for independent play. Puppets, magnetic blocks and a space station offer different starting points for stories and construction. The choice matters: children can pursue an interest rather than follow one activity selected for everyone.

In February 2025, books were accessible across the play areas, and children brought a recipe book into pretend food-making. Staff also connected numbers to ordinary routines, including matching the number on a slipper box with a coat peg. Train-track play introduced language about shape. These are useful examples of literacy and mathematics joining the play rather than sitting apart from it.

School Readiness sessions help children prepare for starting school. Everyday routines also give children practice in managing their belongings: using photo cards for self-registration and putting cups and books in their designated places. The emphasis is on doing manageable jobs themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The pavilion is used solely by the playgroup, with a secure outdoor area that includes soft play. Children also have regular supervised access to the surrounding playing fields and park. That gives them both an enclosed play space and opportunities to use the wider grounds.

Outdoor choices include a water wall, digging pit, balancing beam and planting area. In February 2025, children used tyres, crates and planks to create crawling and balancing challenges together; indoors, picking up small objects with tweezers exercised the hand movements needed for early writing. Physical development took different forms, from whole-body movement to careful finger work.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has an assigned key person whose responsibilities include adapting care to individual needs, helping the child become familiar with the setting and building a relationship with parents. This gives families a particular practitioner connected to their child's experience, rather than leaving communication entirely to whoever happens to be present.

In February 2025, parents received daily information and written progress updates, with termly meetings for discussing learning and activities to try at home. A lending library and resource bags extended those opportunities beyond the playgroup. The combination gives parents both information about the day and practical ways to take part in learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In February 2025, staff monitored development and referred children to outside agencies when additional help was needed. They also showed children different ways to tackle tasks such as putting on a coat. For a child who finds one method difficult, having another approach available can make independence more achievable.

Staff have first-aid and safeguarding training and undergo DBS checks. These are care arrangements, while the dated inspection judgement provides the assessment of safeguarding effectiveness.

Snacks include fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and cheese, with milk or water to drink; children are encouraged to help prepare their snack. The playgroup participates in Medway's Eat Better Start Better initiative, which links healthy eating with regular exercise.

Sessions and Attendance

Attendance is term-time only. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, and the booking options are full day, Early Starter, am and pm sessions. The choice between a shorter part of the day and a full day is useful for families fitting preschool around work or other care arrangements.

Getting There

The address is Hempstead Playing Fields, Hempstead Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 3RH. There is an on-site car park, with a children's play area beside the playing fields.

Families can contact the office on 01634 239955 or email hempstead.pavilion@outlook.com, and viewings can be arranged through the playgroup.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2025, the playgroup received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Private childcare is also offered. Families can contact the office for current session costs.

A non-refundable administration charge applies when adding a child to the waiting list, and the first invoice is payable on the child's starting day. Invoices arrive by email before their monthly due date, with payment accepted through childcare vouchers, cash or BACS. The parent information and fees page brings these payment arrangements together.

• Conversation practice. In February 2025, staff sometimes continued talking before children had time to respond, restricting opportunities to contribute their own ideas. Ask during a visit how practitioners now give children space to answer and sustain a conversation.
• Term-time attendance. Full-day and shorter sessions operate within a term-time preschool model. Families needing childcare during school holidays will need to account for that boundary in their arrangements.
• Funding and everyday costs. Early-education funding was part of the February 2025 offer, alongside paid childcare and a waiting-list administration charge. Before committing, what funded attendance arrangement applies to your child, and who pays for or supplies meals, snacks and consumables?

Hempstead Pavilion Playgroup suits families seeking term-time preschool with a choice of full-day, morning or afternoon attendance, rather than one fixed daily pattern. Its dedicated pavilion, enclosed outdoor space and access to the park give children several ways to play and practise independence. The February 2025 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by a specific need to improve conversational turn-taking. Outdoor activity and practical self-help are the clearest reasons to consider it.