St Hubert's Pre-School Playgroup

Speech and language support gives St Hubert's Pre-School Playgroup a clear identity. An independent speech and language therapist works within the setting, while WellComm Screening examines the language children understand and use. For families whose child needs help communicating, that means assessment and practical support can connect with the child's everyday activities.

Based at Warley Baptist Church in Oldbury, the playgroup has 32 places in total. At its 5 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good and judged safeguarding effective, with personalised support helping children with SEND make good progress. Children attending that inspection were aged two to four.

The balance matters. Communication support and individual planning are substantial parts of the offer, but the October 2022 findings also raised concerns about noise and the consistency of staff practice. Those are useful subjects for a visit, rather than details to lose beneath the overall grade.

Rooms and Ages

The Inspire Room and Believe and Achieve Room each have a designated role supporting children's emotional and mental wellbeing. This places responsibility within the playrooms, alongside the child's key person, rather than leaving emotional support solely to a central role.

In October 2022, children could choose construction materials, imaginative play and dough activities. One activity used pasta and bottles to make instruments, combining careful hand movements with comparisons of how much each bottle held. It shows how a simple resource can bring physical skills, mathematical ideas and listening together.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage links children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and observations help staff plan what a child should practise next. It is the framework for the nursery day, alongside the setting's additional phonics and communication work.

Ruth Miskin is the phonics programme used at the playgroup. Its parent support includes videos demonstrating sounds and accompanying picture sounds, helping adults use the same pronunciation when practising at home. The Phonic Workshop booklet also connects early reading and writing with rhymes, music, conversation, stories and experimenting with marks.

In October 2022, staff adapted activities to children's interests. An interest in rubber ducks became an opportunity to introduce colours and counting; observations of individual children were shared between practitioners so their next learning steps could inform activities beyond a single key-person interaction.

Celebrations also contributed to the October 2022 nursery day. Children discussed Chinese New Year, Eid and Diwali, and shared words used by their families at home. These conversations connected learning about other cultures with something children could contribute themselves.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before a child starts. That adult handles the family's induction, maintains developmental records and acts as the parent's main contact, creating a clear link between care at home and care in the playgroup.

Settling requires time from families. The policy expects a parent, carer or close relative to remain for much of each session during the first week, with separation increasing as the child becomes ready. Some children need longer, and the setting may decline to accept a distressed child without their accompanying adult. This is a gradual process with practical consequences for a parent's schedule.

In October 2022, communication included weekly developmental updates, photographs and messages about children's activities. Parents could also attend workshops about preparing for school. Teachers visited children before their move to school, and developmental information was shared with relevant professionals: transition involved familiarisation and continuity, rather than simply practising school routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Targeted Support Plans are developed with the key person, parents and relevant outside professionals, then reviewed regularly. Visual timetables, choice boards and multilingual books and signs provide concrete ways to support understanding and participation. Wheelchair access, ramps and an accessible toilet with changing facilities address physical access too.

WellComm Screening examines both understanding and spoken language. Results can lead to support within the setting or referrals to Sandwell SALT service and Sandwell Inclusion Support, with parents involved in the next steps. The independent speech and language therapist also creates individual targets and resources and advises the child's key person on using them in practice.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified inconsistent responses to children's care and learning needs, including children becoming disengaged or sleeping without mats, and noise that made participation harder for some children. Immediate intervention did not always lead to follow-up with staff to prevent recurrence. The improvement priorities therefore concerned both the organisation of activities and how practice was monitored.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Warley Baptist Church, Castle Road East, Oldbury, B68 9BJ. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone.

Private attendance choices for children not receiving funding include a seven-hour full day within the 8.15am to 4pm window, half-day attendance and three-hour sessions. Extra time at either end of a child's session is charged separately. These choices serve different routines, but the full-day description should be read as seven hours within that window rather than a promise that the entire opening window is included.

In October 2022, the playgroup operated on weekdays during term time. Current payment terms also allow for training-day closures and outings that require a parent or carer to accompany their child; the playgroup closes for those trips. Families unable to attend an outing still pay their fees, as do families whose child misses attendance through sickness or holiday.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Learning for Two’s provides 15 funded hours a week for eligible two-year-olds. Children receiving DSG Funding from the term after their third birthday receive 15 or 30 hours weekly, depending on their circumstances; additional attendance is paid privately. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Families supply a healthy packed lunch, and snacks carry a separate charge; these arrangements also apply to funded attendance. Lunch supervision is included in the private full-day and half-day charges. Fees are payable in advance, and being more than two weeks behind with payment may put a child's place at risk.

• Noise and consistent care. The October 2022 concerns included children covering their ears and missed routine instructions, alongside sleeping arrangements and staff follow-up. During a visit, ask how activities are organised to control noise and how recurring care issues are addressed.
• Time for settling. The settling policy expects family participation for at least the first week, potentially longer. Plan the start around time that a familiar adult can spend with the child.
• Closures and paid absence. Fees remain payable for sickness, holidays, training closures and parent-accompanied trips. These terms matter when comparing the overall attendance commitment.
• Matching communication support. WellComm Screening, individual therapy plans and Targeted Support Plans create several routes to help. Discuss how these would work together for your child and how progress would be shared with you.

St Hubert's suits families seeking private half-day or three-hour attendance as well as a private seven-hour full day, with a gradual, parent-supported start. Its clearest practical strengths are the mechanisms around communication: screening, an independent therapist and plans linking parents, key persons and outside professionals.

The Good judgement from October 2022 sits alongside specific concerns about noise and consistent care. Families should weigh that dated picture with the settling commitment and payment terms. For a child who needs carefully coordinated language support, there is a concrete structure here to discuss.