Playgroup celebrates successful Ofsted report

An long-standing Exeter play group is celebrating another successful inspection report as it prepares to welcome even more children.

Park Play Group has operated in Exeter for more than 30 years and is now based at Redhills Primary School.

The play group is currently building an extension which means it will be able to welcome two-year-olds next month along with the three and four-year-olds it currently accepts.

Inspectors from Ofsted visited the play group last month and have rated every aspect of its operation as good.

Lead inspector Sharon Peel says Park meets the needs of the range of children who attend well, it makes a good contribution to the well-being of the children and the effectiveness of the leadership and management is good.

She says parents are overwhelmingly happy with the experiences they and their children have at the play group.

“Staff plan activities that excite and motivate children,” says Ms Peel. “There is a buzz of excitement as children arrive and get involved straight away in…. planned and purposeful play opportunities.

“Support is especially focused on ensuring that children are making progress in communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.

“Staff know the children well and work effectively with families, helping parents to understand how and what their children are learning and how they can help at home.

“Children make good progress from their starting points. Children with special educational needs and disabilities are making rapid progress because staff work well with outside agencies and are skilled in teaching children appropriately.”

Ms Peel says children find the transition between play group and Redhills school very easy.

“Children are extremely well prepared for school as the play group staff and school teachers have created a shared vision of what children need to know in order to be ready to start school,” she says.

To improve still further, Ms Peel says the play group should better organise the resources available for the children and encourage them to be more independent at snack times.

Stuart Busby, head of Redhills Primary School and committee member of Park Play Group, said: “I am delighted that the hard work of Park Play Group has been recognised by Ofsted.

“The setting is clearly very forward looking and I would strongly encourage parents with two year olds to enrol their children in the new provision.”