Cricklade Preschool Playgroup

An outside construction area and a parent charity committee give Cricklade Preschool Playgroup a recognisable community character. Fundraising has helped pay for tablets, toys and books as well as the construction space, giving families a practical way to contribute to children's surroundings. This is a setting where parent involvement extends to how the playgroup runs.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Good overall. It has capacity for 26 children and accepts children from two years to primary age, with flexible attendance during term time. Its home is The Old Library on Bath Road in Cricklade. For parents weighing it up, the useful combination is a community setting, an adaptable timetable and a dated inspection account of children developing independence through ordinary tasks.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning and care. In May 2023, children practised recognising their names, managing their clothing and pouring drinks themselves, making everyday routines opportunities to learn and take responsibility. These are concrete steps towards doing more independently.

During that May 2023 visit, staff planned around children's interests and used assessments at the start to identify what each child needed to learn next. Resources were within children's reach, allowing them to choose materials and begin their own activities. For families, that gives substance to the idea of learning through children's interests: both the planning and the arrangement of resources supported their choices.

Health and environmental learning also had practical examples in May 2023. Children explored toothbrushing through play, grew vegetables and made healthy snacks; they also learnt about recycling food. Stories, familiar songs and conversations introduced vocabulary. However, adults sometimes moved on before children had enough thinking time, and their pronunciation of everyday words was occasionally inaccurate. Those points matter for children building confidence in speaking and answering questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outside construction area gives imaginative play a physical space of its own. In May 2023, children also played with wheeled toys, practised balancing and jumping, and imagined carrying out repairs to a shed. Outdoor play brought movement and make-believe together. Access was less successful: children could not choose freely to go outside, which restricted some who preferred learning there.

Community fundraising has named outlets. Bag2School is a textile recycling scheme that raises money, and the 2026 calendar planned two collections, with March followed by October. Families could contribute unwanted clothing, shoes and hats. The Friends Of Cricklade Pre-School Playgroup offers another route into participation, including occasional help with trips, walks, reading, gardening and fundraising. These are opportunities for adult involvement, rather than a promise of a particular activity timetable for children.

Relationships were a strength of daily life in May 2023. New children adjusted readily with help from their key persons, and children developed close connections with staff. That makes the settling account useful for parents whose child is beginning group care: support came through a familiar adult relationship.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding arrangements effective, with staff understanding how to raise concerns and management using recruitment checks and induction training. This is a dated judgement. The current parent committee also provides a way for families to take part in decisions, through annual elections and meetings open to preschool members.

Preparation for school had a practical form in May 2023. Older children regularly spent time at the local school, becoming familiar with its premises and teachers before moving on. Staff also worked with outside professionals to support learning. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place at the local school.

Sessions and Attendance

The playgroup opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 4pm, during term time only. Attendance uses flexible start and collection points: starts are at 7.30am, 8am, 9am, noon or 1pm; collections are at noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3.30pm or 4pm. Families can therefore consider early starts or attendance beginning around lunchtime within the same flexible model.

The address is The Old Library, Bath Road, Cricklade, SN6 6AT. Session enquiries can be made by telephone on 01793 750817 or by email to playgroupcricklade@btinternet.com.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds over 38 weeks, beginning in the term after their third birthday. Eligible working parents can access up to 30 hours a week across 38 weeks for children aged from two until they start school, and must apply themselves; the preschool cannot arrange the funding. Funded places for eligible two-year-olds are also accepted, with parents responsible for applying.

Additional hours and attendance for children who do not qualify for funding are privately charged. Fees are paid in advance each half term, and payment options include bank transfer, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation. The funding and fees page sets out the charge structure.

Private fees include a drink and snack, while families supply a healthy packed lunch for attendance covering noon to 1pm. Breakfast has no extra charge for early morning attendance and is included within funded hours; families also provide lunch during the lunchtime period on funded attendance.

• Outdoor choice. In May 2023, access to the outdoor area depended on the organisation of the day, limiting children who preferred to learn outside. On a visit, ask how children now choose when to use that space.
• Conversation and thinking time. The May 2023 improvement points concerned accurate pronunciation and giving children longer to formulate responses. Ask how staff support these skills during stories and everyday conversation.
• Term-time planning. The flexible start and collection points operate during term time, with the day ending at 4pm. Match those boundaries to your family's working hours and holiday arrangements before choosing an attendance pattern.

Cricklade Preschool Playgroup suits families seeking term-time attendance with either an early start or a start around lunchtime, alongside opportunities to participate in a parent committee or occasional volunteering. The construction space and community fundraising give that involvement tangible results. Its Good judgement dates to May 2023, and the questions about outdoor choice and conversational practice deserve attention alongside the positive settling and independence examples from that visit.