Playgroups

Playgroup facts

Most pre-school playgroups provide early education for children between three and five years old.
Groups are organised by the community or voluntary sector on a not-for-profit basis, often with help from parents.
They offer sessions from two-and-a-half to four hours, during term time, either every day or for a few days a week.
Your child should experience learning and development activities suitable for their age.
Pre-schools are a good way of extending your childcare and some are developing their services to offer longer sessions of full-time day care.
A registered pre-school is regularly inspected by Ofsted to check on the quality of the care and to ensure that the free part-time early education (if provided) is satisfactory.
Most pre-schools will provide places for around 25 children.
There should be one member of staff for every eight children aged three to five.
Most staff are trained to work with children or are part-qualified to do so.