Windmills Opportunity Playgroup

Planning around children's interests and Tapestry, a secure learning journal that parents can contribute to, give Windmills Opportunity Playgroup its character. This Burgess Hill charity playgroup is run by trustees and has capacity for 20 children. Its usual base is Sheddingdean Community Centre, but essential building work has led to a temporary move to St John’s Pavilion on Park Road.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Windmills Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and children learning English as an additional language, received strong support. The children attending then were aged two to four. That age range describes the inspection group rather than a promise about current admissions.

Attendance follows the school terms, with a choice of morning, afternoon or full-day sessions. The practical appeal is a playgroup day that can fit different family routines, alongside a clear emphasis on understanding individual children and involving their families.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, with activities building children's communication, physical skills and understanding of the world. Windmills plans around children's interests and what they already know, using observations to decide what to offer next.

In April 2024, a healthy-eating activity involved baking courgette-and-cheese muffins. Children weighed the ingredients, grated them and took turns stirring the mixture. It brought practical skills, conversation and taking turns into one task, with something tangible to show their families afterwards. Outdoor pretend cooking included vegetable pies and soup, giving children another way to explore ideas through play.

In April 2024, staff sometimes missed opportunities to add vocabulary or encourage problem-solving during play; greater consistency in extending learning was the improvement priority. For parents, the useful distinction is between providing an engaging activity and using it fully to move a child's thinking forward.

Outdoor and Community Life

In April 2024, children chose between indoor and outdoor play. A low-level climbing apparatus gave them opportunities to practise balance, while staff offered a hand when needed and encouraged their attempts. The physical challenge was manageable enough for children to try, repeat and grow more confident.

Community experiences that month included shopping for baking ingredients, bus journeys and story sessions in the nearby school library. These linked learning to familiar places and practical purposes: buying ingredients connected an outing with what children would later make. The library visits also introduced children to a school environment.

Those examples belong to the former premises and the April 2024 period. The temporary move makes the current layout an especially relevant part of choosing Windmills.

Relationships and Communication

Tapestry, a secure online learning journal, connects the playgroup day with home. Photographs and observations help staff plan subsequent learning, while parents can view their child's record and add experiences from family life. That gives practitioners something specific to talk about with a child, including interests that develop outside the setting.

A weekly manager's broadcast also provides activities and ideas to try at home. Communication therefore includes both an account of the child's experiences and suggestions for extending them. Windmills works with families to understand individual needs and seeks help from other professionals where required.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In April 2024, the sensory room and a separate calming area gave children options when managing their feelings. Children could choose cards or books to express emotions, rather than relying entirely on spoken explanations. Pictures and timers also helped make sharing and turn-taking expectations easier to understand.

Staff responded calmly when children struggled with emotions. Activities were adapted to include children with differing needs, and additional funding supported this work. These practical adaptations gave children several ways to take part and communicate their feelings.

Windmills' current learning objectives include recognising additional needs early and involving support agencies where appropriate. For a family considering specialist support, that mechanism matters alongside the everyday relationship with staff.

Sessions and Attendance

Sessions run Monday to Friday during term time. The morning runs from 8.45am to 11.45am; the afternoon follows from 11.45am to 2.45pm. A full day combines the day from 8.45am to 2.45pm. This gives families a choice between a shorter session and staying through the afternoon.

The calendar includes half-term breaks. A separate closure is scheduled for the Washbrooks Farm Trip on Monday 28 June 2027, a useful date for families planning attendance around work.

Getting There

The usual address is Sheddingdean Community Centre, Maple Drive, Burgess Hill, RH15 8UA; during essential work at the hall, the temporary base is St John’s Pavilion, Park Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 8HG. Telephone and email details remain unchanged, and enquiries can be made through the contact form or by calling 01444 220378.

Funding and Paid Extras

Windmills accepts Two Year Funding and offers Universal Free Entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, up to 15 hours a week. Extended Free Entitlement may provide eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds with an additional 15 hours; hours outside the funded entitlement are charged privately.

Funding can be shared with another setting, and families doing this must tell Windmills. Attendance is term-time, which is an important distinction for parents arranging care across school holidays.

Private fees are billed half-termly and remain payable for sickness absence or holidays taken while the playgroup is open. Ending a place requires half a term's notice, with fees due until that period finishes. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the funding and fee terms explain the charging structure.

• Temporary premises. Building work has moved Windmills to St John’s Pavilion. At a visit, how are outdoor play and spaces for managing emotions arranged there?
• Extending play. The April 2024 improvement point concerned making vocabulary and problem-solving opportunities more consistent. Ask how staff now develop a child's ideas during an activity.
• Term-time commitments. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions follow school terms, and private fees continue during absence while Windmills is open. Families need to match both the calendar and the notice period to their plans.

Windmills suits families seeking either morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a full playgroup day during term time. Tapestry gives parents a practical role in sharing their child's learning, while the April 2024 account offers concrete examples of support for emotions and differing needs. The temporary premises deserve attention, alongside the improvement point about extending play. Together, those are the most useful details for deciding whether this particular playgroup fits your child.