Sandon Road Baptist Church Playgroup

A garden workbench with real tools, a story chair and walks along the Isabel Trail give Sandon Road Baptist Church Playgroup a practical, outdoors-led character. Children can move between indoor play and the garden, while adults develop learning from whatever has caught their interest. The starting point is the child's choice.

Based at Baptist Church on Sandon Road in Stafford, the playgroup has 45 places in total and welcomes children from six months to school age, including summer-born children whose school start is deferred for a year. Its charity-run, non-profit model means surplus income goes back into the children's surroundings and staff development.

At its May 2025 inspection, Ofsted judged the playgroup Good overall, found safeguarding effective and recognised teaching that supported children's learning, while asking staff to give children more opportunities to work out solutions independently.

Families can choose half days or full days, with extensions at either end of the day.

Rooms and Ages

One main room accommodates the children, with a section set aside for those under two. Younger children can also use the wider space. This arrangement gives babies access to the broader play environment, making the way staff organise shared activities an important consideration for families choosing their first childcare setting.

A separate Sensory Room provides a quieter option for children who need a break from activity or access to sensory resources. It also accommodates additional learning, meetings and parent coffee mornings.

Indoor choices include construction, pretend play, craft and messy activities, alongside books, writing materials, puzzles and number games.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: children learn through play, with experiences addressing different areas of learning. Planning in the Moment is the playgroup's approach within that framework. Adults respond to children's chosen activities and extend the learning from there, rather than treating their interests as a diversion from the day's work.

A child riding a bike, for example, might become involved in pretend play about buying petrol or washing a car. That can bring counting, money and making signs into an activity the child already wants to pursue.

Small-group activities for children under two and those aged two to three include music-making, ribbon dancing, stories and games with a parachute. Makaton nursery songs and rhymes also feature. Preschool children spend more of this group time on early literacy and maths, giving different ages a different emphasis within the shared setting.

Time to Talk provides short speech-and-language activities regularly during the week, targeted to individual needs. It supports children experiencing language delays, those learning English as an additional language and those who need help with confidence.

In May 2025, small-group storytelling extended into acting out a familiar book and hiding and finding animals outdoors. Staff also used children's interests when planning activities and gave them time to practise skills. However, adults did not consistently prompt children to find their own solutions. The opportunity is to preserve that responsive teaching while leaving more space for children to think a difficulty through.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden offers more than space to run. Its allotment, mud kitchen and workbench with real tools sit alongside a wooden playhouse, slide and sensory garden with a climbing wall. A story chair provides a place for books outdoors, while bikes and a swing/trapeze add physical challenge. These different uses make the outdoor area part of the learning environment rather than simply a break from it.

Children can choose outdoor play throughout the day, including in different weather conditions, except when conditions are extreme. Staff prepare them for the weather. That makes appropriate clothing part of the routine and allows outdoor interests to continue beyond dry, sunny days.

Local walks include the Isabel Trail, balancing lakes and a park. Older children also make visits to the library, railway station, post office and local allotments. These outings connect pretend play with places and services children can recognise beyond the playgroup. Children's cultural and religious festivals are explored through food, craft and short programmes, linking activities to their own family experiences.

Relationships and Communication

Families can speak to their child's key person about concerns regarding development or behaviour and receive advice or help reaching an appropriate agency. Regular coffee mornings, led by a senior staff member, give parents and carers another way to talk and share experiences. The partnership extends beyond a brief exchange about the day's activities.

Tapestry is the online learning journal used to record achievements, progress and next steps. Parents have an individual login and can view it whenever they wish, including while away for work; families can download the journal when their child leaves. Membership of the Early Years Alliance also gives families access to free online courses aimed at parents of preschool children.

In May 2025, communication included updates about children's learning and ideas for continuing it at home. Staff used initial visits and observation to establish what children could already do. That provides a useful starting point for a relationship based on knowing the individual child, rather than treating every new starter alike.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENDCO lead role and the Sensory Room provide identifiable routes for additional support and quieter activity. At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified learning gaps promptly, worked with other professionals and used additional funding carefully to support individual children and their progress.

In May 2025, staff helped children handle minor disagreements and practise sharing. Physical activity included bikes, ribbons and rope swings; everyday routines included handwashing and learning about oral health. These experiences joined social development and self-care to ordinary play, rather than leaving them as separate topics.

Sessions and Attendance

Half Days begin at either 9am or 10am and end at noon. Full Days have the same choice of starting time, with a 2pm or 3pm finish. Extended Hours allow an 8am start, a 4pm finish, or both, so families can lengthen the core day at the end that suits them.

The contact hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. In May 2025, the playgroup operated during term time. Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form.

Getting There

The setting is at Baptist Church, Sandon Road, Stafford, ST16 3HW; the contact address uses 317 Sandon Road. It is close to Beaconside and the MOD site, useful landmarks when planning a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded and privately paid childcare are both offered. Funded hours can cover any combination of hours without an additional charge for those hours; extra private hours are paid for separately, including extensions when funding does not cover them. Current prices come in the playgroup's written quotation.

Parents send a healthy packed lunch each day, with no separate lunch charge, and are asked to contribute one snack item a week. Snacks change from day to day, and the welcome information includes guidance on nutrition and portions.

• Independent problem-solving. The May 2025 improvement point concerned how often adults encouraged children to find solutions themselves. During a visit, ask for an example of how staff now help a child persist with a difficult activity.
• Shared space for the youngest children. Under-twos have a section of the main room and can use the wider environment. Explore how that arrangement works alongside older children's play and the quieter Sensory Room.
• What to pack. Lunch comes from home and families are asked for a weekly snack contribution.

Sandon Road suits families seeking either shorter half-day attendance or full days, with the option to extend the start or finish. Its appeal lies in the combination of a well-equipped garden, learning developed from children's interests and concrete communication tools such as Tapestry. The shared main room is an important part of the choice for parents of babies. The May 2025 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, with independent problem-solving the clear area for further development.