Playgroup celebrates Ofsted praise

St John's Foundation Stage Playgroup, based in St John's Church Hall, Ripley Road, was given five out of a possible six "very good" gradings in the report. The top mark that can be awarded is "very good".

Denise Loydell, owner and supervisor of the group, said: "We knew we were going to get a good report but our assessor was being assessed during the time Ofsted were at the playgroup and we thought this might affect the report a little."

The group was last assessed four years ago. Denise said: "We have carried out lots more staff training and hold more staff meetings. The group has changed a lot because we now have a lot more children with special needs at the group and we have had to concentrate on the service we offer to them as well to make it an all round playgroup that everyone can feel part of.

"Parents have been reacting very, very positively to the report. They know they have sent their children to a good playgroup and it confirms this to them.

"We have got good staff and we are always updating our training so that we can give the best possible to our children and their parents and families."

The playgroup currently has 39 children on role aged between two and five.

They were given "very good" judgements for personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; and physical development.

A "generally good" mark was given for creative development