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Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2025)
·The Church Centre, Larkhay Road, Gloucester, GL3 3NS · Gloucestershire
Number of places
48 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2025
Local authority
Gloucestershire

About this day nursery

Abbeymead Under 5's Playgroup, located in Gloucester, is dedicated to fostering an environment where young children can flourish through exploration and learning. The playgroup's philosophy centres on providing a nurturing space that mirrors the comfort of home, guiding children to discover and develop their full potential.

They emphasise play and hands-on activities to build confidence, curiosity, and resilience. The facility offers adaptable environments to cater to individual needs, lifestyles, and diverse backgrounds, ensuring each child receives personalised attention.

Parental involvement is highly valued, with the playgroup actively seeking contributions and ideas from families to continually enhance its services. The playgroup aims to support both the child and their family throughout their journey at Abbeymead Under 5’s, ensuring that every child is nurtured and encouraged to progress naturally.

Our ethos

At Abbeymead Under 5s Playgroup, we believe that every child deserves a nurturing environment that fosters growth, exploration, and learning. Our ethos is rooted in providing an extension of home, where children are supported, guided, and encouraged to develop their unique potential. Through play and hands-on exploration, we create opportunities for children to build confidence, curiosity, and resilience. With care, respect, and understanding, we strive to empower each child to become the best version of themselves, laying the foundation for a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. To enable a child to develop to their full potential we offer a range of environments that we adapt for individual needs, including lifestyles and backgrounds. Parental involvement is imperative to our practice, and we welcome views and ideas to evolve our setting. We aim to support your family as well as your child throughout their journey at Abbeymead Under 5’s. When your child enters Abbeymead Under 5’s they will be nurtured, developed naturally to grow and flourish.

What it's like

Children arrive at the playgroup happy and confident and separate from their parents or carers with ease, displaying a strong sense of belonging. Staff support children's early literacy and communication, and provide a good balance of child-led and adult-initiated play across indoor and outdoor areas.

Child-led curriculumPlay-based learningInclusion-friendly settingTerm-time only

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
  • 2 Year Old Half Day Session£17.85 / session
  • 2 Year Old Full School Day Session£35.70 / session
  • 2 Year Old Per hour£7.14 / hour
  • Book bag and polo shirt (optional)£15.00 / session
  • 3/4 Year Old Half Day Session£16.25 / session

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday - Thursday: 9:30am - 2:30pm (Rising 3s and Pre-School); Friday: 9:30am - 2:30pm (Pre-School Only)

Session types

Half Day Session, Full School Day Session

Term time / All Year

Term Time

Established

1992

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup

Last inspected 6 June 2025 · Holly Smith

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

Actions the provider must take

  • Leaders have not kept Ofsted informed about significant changes in leadership, such as to the nominated individual and committee members of the playgroup. This means that necessary suitability checks have not been completed on some individuals.

What it's like to attend

Children arrive at the playgroup happy and confident and separate from their parents or carers with ease, displaying a strong sense of belonging. Staff support children's early literacy and communication, and provide a good balance of child-led and adult-initiated play across indoor and outdoor areas.

Inspector highlights

  • Children arrive happy, confident and display a strong sense of belonging.
  • A good balance of child-led and adult-initiated play across indoor and outdoor areas with engaging activities.
  • Staff support communication, early literacy and numeracy effectively through group activities and play.
  • A well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children already know and prepares them for school.
  • Strong partnerships with parents and effective use of funding and targeted staff training.

Areas to develop

  • 1support staff to make children's individual next steps clear and consistently embed them within the learning intentions of focused activities to better support children's progress
  • 2strengthen the organisation of everyday routines to ensure interactions are purposeful and consistently used to extend children's learning.
Inspection #10398734 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and leaders target training and use additional funding effectively to support individual needs, for example to improve support for children with communication and language delay.

Outdoor space

Children experience a good balance of child-led and adult-initiated play across both the indoor and outdoor areas. Staff prepare engaging activities based on children's interests across indoor and outdoor spaces, helping children to settle quickly and remain focused on their play.

Inspection history

Date: December 2011

  • June 2025Good
  • November 2019Good
  • May 2015Good
  • December 2011Good

Frequently asked about Abbeymead Under Fives Playgroup

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