Hundred Acre Pre-School Playgroup

A parent committee, charitable status and 22 places give Hundred Acre Pre-School Playgroup a clear community identity. Based on the Hundred Acre Estate in Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, it brings families into the running of the setting: its volunteer committee includes parents whose children attend or have attended. This is a practical role for parents, beyond receiving updates about their own child.

Ofsted rated the playgroup Good on 27 January 2023. Its current offer centres on play, a structured routine and activities adapted by key persons to individual children, with an outdoor play area usable in all weathers. Morning, afternoon and combined sessions run during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the expectations for children's learning and development; here, children learn through play within a structured daily routine. Key persons adjust activities to children's needs, connecting the shared routine with each child's next steps. Equipment also supports activities that children choose for themselves. The balance matters: children have a familiar pattern to their day, while their interests help shape what they do.

In January 2023, an ice activity brought several kinds of learning together. Children used warm water and pipettes to release toy polar bears and fish, talked about the changes they could see and practised words connected with temperature and melting. The pipettes added work for small hand muscles. It was a concrete example of language and physical learning developing through the same investigation.

During that January 2023 visit, children could join wake up and shake up, a music and movement activity, or carry on with their existing play. Sand activities brought counting and comparisons of size into play, while songs and action games gave children opportunities to move and express themselves. Children also shared equipment and responded to guidance about taking turns. These examples give substance to the playgroup's play-based approach.

The January 2023 improvement points concerned the way adults supported thinking and independence. Children needed longer to formulate answers to questions, and more chances to tackle manageable tasks themselves, including putting on outdoor clothes and getting ready for lunch. These are small moments with considerable value: a child needs time to think as well as opportunities to practise doing things independently.

Outdoor and Community Life

An outdoor play area supports play in different weather conditions, making outdoor activity part of the setting's physical offer. In January 2023, children were also growing fruit and tasting it when ready, connecting healthy food with the experience of growing it. Learning about different families and trying foods from different cultures broadened the day beyond children's own experiences.

A National Lottery funding grant has been earmarked for improvements to the building and resources in 2026. That is a plan for investment, rather than a description of completed facilities.

Relationships and Communication

Key persons adapt activities to individual needs, and each child has an online learning journey containing examples of their learning and experiences. This gives parents a way to follow what their child has been doing and connects home with the playgroup's daily work. The parent committee offers a separate route into the organisation's management; it does not replace communication about an individual child.

In January 2023, staff used observations of children to plan activities around their interests and intended learning. Conversations were a substantial part of the day, with questions encouraging children to develop their ideas. The need to leave more thinking time was the important qualification to that practice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported good progress for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supported by collaboration with parents and outside professionals. Those are dated judgements about the provision at that visit.

Current arrangements include working with other agencies where children need support and maintaining relationships with local schools to help transitions. For families, the useful distinction is between support during preschool and preparation for the next setting: the playgroup describes work on both. In January 2023, children practised handwashing independently, although opportunities to manage dressing and lunchtime preparation needed extending.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 18 Goodwood Drive, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B74 2JG. The playgroup takes children aged two to five and operates during term time. Its attendance choices allow families to choose a shorter session or combine morning and afternoon care.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm, Monday to Thursday. Combined morning and afternoon sessions run from 9am to 3pm. Children must attend at least two sessions each week, so a single weekly session does not meet the booking requirement. Friday afternoon opening needs clarification before choosing a pattern.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or through the contact form. Visits require an appointment, and families can submit the playgroup's waiting-list form. These are joining arrangements, rather than an indication of how many places are free.

Funding and Paid Extras

Term-time funding includes 15 hours through Nursery Education Funding for two-, three- and four-year-olds, Time to Start funding for eligible two-year-olds, and up to 30 hours for working parents of children aged three and four. Private sessions are also offered. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

There are no additional charges above session fees or for children receiving funding; the morning snack is included, while families provide a packed lunch for children staying into the afternoon. Snack choices include fruit and breadsticks, with water or milk to drink. Contributions towards fundraising for the playgroup or other charities are optional, keeping them separate from the childcare charge.

• Friday afternoons. Opening descriptions conflict: one gives a Friday finish at noon, while another refers to afternoons running until 3pm Monday to Friday, despite listing afternoon sessions only Monday to Thursday. Confirm Friday arrangements before committing to a weekly pattern.
• Thinking time and independence. The January 2023 improvement points concerned pauses after questions and children doing more dressing and lunchtime tasks themselves. On an appointment visit, ask how these opportunities now fit into the routine.
• Building investment. The National Lottery grant is intended for building and resource upgrades in 2026. Ask which changes have been completed and how any remaining work will affect children's day.

Hundred Acre suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, afternoon sessions or combined days, with a minimum commitment of two sessions a week. Its parent-led charitable structure, online learning journeys and all-weather outdoor play area give clear reasons to consider it. The January 2023 Good judgement adds a dated assessment of quality, balanced by specific improvement points about thinking time and independence. Friday arrangements deserve clarification before the timetable becomes the deciding factor.