Comberton Playgroup

Boat-building experiments and community outings give Comberton Playgroup its character. In February 2025, children chose materials for sails and masts, then tested their creations in water: a practical way to explore why things float.

At its 10 February 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good and judged safeguarding effective. The setting has capacity for 48 children aged two to five, at Green End in Comberton, Cambridge. Term-time opening makes the school-holiday calendar an important consideration for families.

In February 2025, learning followed a planned sequence, with activities chosen around children's next steps. The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, practical play gave children opportunities to investigate, talk and practise physical skills.

Dough disco sessions helped develop fine motor skills, while cutting practice helped children prepare for writing. Storytelling encouraged discussion of characters' feelings and introduced vocabulary. Older children also practised sounding out simple words. These were concrete steps towards literacy, rather than writing practice alone.

Community experiences extended the learning. In February 2025, regular forest school sessions took learning outdoors, alongside library visits and allotment trips. Watching Morris dancers introduced a cultural experience, while older local residents joined Christmas visits and the Jubilee celebration. The emphasis reached beyond the playgroup's rooms.

In February 2025, a wall of family photographs and individually labelled artwork drawers gave children visible connections to home and a place for their own work. Staff demonstrated kindness and taking turns, with clear expectations for behaviour. Familiar routines helped children understand what happened next.

At the February 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress, supported by collaboration between staff, families and external professionals including speech and language therapists. Parents received updates, attended parent evenings and were given ideas for continuing learning at home.

There were two important weaknesses in February 2025: support for children learning English as an additional language needed greater consistency, and movement between the garden and indoors sometimes reduced the attention staff could give children. Leaders observed staff practice and used supervision to identify training needs; the committee also supported oversight through quarterly meetings.

The address is Green End, Comberton, Cambridge, CB23 7DY. The playgroup opens during term time and closes for school holidays.

In February 2025, opening hours were 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and a holiday club ran from 8am to 4pm during school holidays. These are dated arrangements, important to distinguish from the term-time playgroup calendar. At that time, eligible children could receive funded early education.

• Language support. Consistency in supporting children learning English was an improvement priority in February 2025. Families using another language at home should explore how communication support now works.
• Garden transitions. Movement indoors and outdoors affected staff attention in February 2025. Ask how these changes of activity are organised during a visit.
• Term-time attendance. The playgroup closes for school holidays. Families needing care throughout the year should establish how the holiday club fits their intended attendance.

Comberton Playgroup suits families seeking term-time care for older toddlers and preschool children, with practical learning and community experiences prominent in its February 2025 provision. The Good judgement provides a useful quality benchmark. Language support and garden transitions deserve attention when deciding whether the setting fits an individual child's needs.