Sandcastle Playgroup

A tortoise called Tilly, sheep in a shared orchard and a Pirate Ship sand pit give Sandcastle Playgroup a character that goes well beyond its indoor playrooms. This Haverhill playgroup occupies purpose-built accommodation within Castle Manor Academy, while remaining independent of the school. Animal care and freely chosen play are central to its daily offer.

At its October 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged Sandcastle Good overall and found its safeguarding arrangements effective.

There are 33 places in total, and children can start when they are 2 years and 8 months old. Morning and afternoon sessions run during term time, with a paid Lunch Club connecting the two. The starting age matters for families seeking an early introduction to group care: this is provision for older toddlers and preschool children rather than babies.

Rooms and Ages

Rainbow Room, Main Room and Green Room provide different areas for creative, construction and imaginative play. Clearly labelled play areas help children find resources independently, and all areas remain accessible throughout a session. A child can follow an interest across different kinds of play instead of staying with a single table activity.

Rainbow Room centres on creative work, with painting, collage materials and dough or clay equipment, including rollers, cutters and real cake trays, plus a work station for individual or paired activity. These are resources children can manipulate and combine, giving the room a practical emphasis on making things.

Main Room brings together writing materials, sorting games and construction equipment, alongside an enclosed book corner and household role play using real produce and kitchen utensils. Green Room combines miniature worlds, science resources such as magnifiers and shells, builder role play with tools and tape measures, and the vivarium where Tilly lives. The contrast gives children several ways to explore the same interest: telling a story, building something or examining an object closely.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, including children's communication, physical skills and personal development. Sandcastle puts that into practice through activities shaped around children's interests, with staff adding learning opportunities to the play children choose. The framework is the shared foundation for early years provision; the arrangement of resources and experiences gives this playgroup its own character.

Carpet Time is a shared routine at the beginning and end of sessions, using a coloured rug and an audible shaker to signal the activity. Stories, music and children's news connect the group, while the closing routine includes reflecting on what they have done. It gives freely chosen play a recognisable beginning and ending.

In October 2021, children explored coloured water, sand and foam, and used dressing-up materials for imaginative play. Football also became a counting activity when children marked goals in chalk. Those examples show how an ordinary game or sensory activity can carry learning, rather than requiring a separate formal lesson.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play has substantial physical variety. The Pirate Ship contains a sunken sand pit; the Mud Kitchen has a water butt, planting and digging space; and an Astro-turf area accommodates wheeled toys and loose equipment such as crates and planks. A two-storey play house, climbing area and water-play zone add different kinds of movement and exploration.

Three themed Beach Huts extend indoor activities outside: Mark Making Hut, Lets Pretend Role Play Hut and Construction Cabin. The garden also includes a wooden turret, a silver birch and a Fairy Garden. Children have places for quieter imaginative activity as well as space to ride, climb and build.

The shared Orchard includes a Summer House used as an outdoor classroom. Tilly provides opportunities to prepare food and help with animal care, while resident sheep Baarbara and Nessie can be visited and fed. Chickens cared for by CMA Eco Team give children opportunities to look for eggs and learn about animals' dependence on people. Handwashing follows animal contact. These are concrete responsibilities, with living creatures giving children a reason to think about care beyond themselves.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is approached with flexibility and attention to each child's personality and needs. Sandcastle recognises that separation from family can be difficult and places importance on getting to know children before expecting them to feel confident in choosing activities. That makes the relationship with parents part of the settling process, rather than a separate administrative task.

Staff share achievements and discuss concerns at the end of sessions. Parents' questions and information from home help staff understand individual needs, making communication a two-way exchange.

In October 2021, staff helped children practise sharing, taking turns and managing feelings. The team also undertook further professional development and shared what they learned with colleagues. At that time, the playgroup employed 13 childcare staff, of whom 11 held early years qualifications at level 3 or above. Those staffing figures describe that period, rather than today's deployment.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support includes a special educational needs coordinator and deputy, alongside an Early Language Lead Practitioner role concerned with speech and language. Work with families and relevant outside agencies is part of the approach. These mechanisms give parents specific points of contact and a route for sharing specialist advice.

At the October 2021 inspection, Ofsted found children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language settled into the playgroup, but identified inconsistent delivery of additional support and communication strategies across staff. The improvement priorities were closer oversight of agreed support and more consistent language practice. The distinction matters: having strategies and specialist roles does not by itself establish that every interaction puts them into practice.

Children help prepare snacks, and the supervised Snack Bar remains open during sessions, with milk or water and opportunities to pour independently. Lunch Club children bring their own packed lunch and eat together in the Bistro, with milk and water supplied if required.

Sessions and Attendance

Sandcastle operates Monday to Friday during term time. Morning Session runs from 8.30am to 11.30am and Afternoon Session from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Families can select preferred sessions and days through the registration form.

Lunch Club runs from 11.30am to 12.30pm and carries an extra charge when a child attends both morning and afternoon on the same day. It bridges the sessions, allowing attendance to continue across lunchtime. Children have activities after eating before returning for the afternoon.

The address is Castle Manor Academy, Eastern Avenue, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 9JE. There is an online registration request form and a separate contact form; telephone enquiries use 01440 705660. Sandcastle is a not-for-profit organisation managed by trustees, and families are invited to become members after their child joins.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded sessions are offered from the term after a child's third birthday, within the term-time attendance model. Lunch Club is a separately charged service for children combining morning and afternoon sessions, and parents supply the packed lunch. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

The playgroup describes a close partnership with Castle Manor Academy while remaining independent of it. Attending Sandcastle does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process for state-school applications. Shared premises and resources should be understood as part of the playgroup experience, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Term-time attendance. Morning and afternoon sessions, with Lunch Club between them, offer different ways to use the day. Families needing childcare during school holidays will need an attendance plan that accounts for the term-time model.
• Consistent additional support. The October 2021 improvement priorities concerned agreed SEND, additional-language and communication strategies. During a visit, ask how the SENCO and room staff now ensure those strategies are used throughout a child's sessions.
• Animal contact. Tilly, the sheep and chickens bring practical animal-care experiences, with handwashing afterwards. Families managing allergies or other health needs should discuss how participation and food routines would work for their child.

Sandcastle suits families looking for term-time morning sessions, afternoon sessions or attendance across both with Lunch Club. Its strongest draw is the combination of freely chosen indoor play and an outdoor offer with construction spaces, themed huts and animals to care for. There is plenty for children who learn by touching, making and trying.

The October 2021 Good judgement is a dated quality reference; concerns about consistent additional support remain an important consideration for families whose children need it.