Playgroup

In a nutshell

Age range: 2 years to 5 years

Opening hours: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Sessions:

Mornings: 9.00 am - 12.00 noon
Afternoons: 12.00 noon - 3.00 pm
Full day: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Lunch: 11.30 am - 12.00 noon.

Children bring in their own packed lunch. Hot dinners at Kineton Primary School are an option on a Wednesday and Thursday

Shorter sessions may be available on request for non-funded places. We aim to offer flexibility wherever possible, taking into account availability and each child’s care, learning and development needs. Please speak to our team to discuss the options for your family.

At Kineton Playgroup, we follow the current Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and use Birth to 5 Matters guidance to support our planning and practice. Through play, exploration and engaging experiences, we support each child’s learning in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

We recognise that every child is unique, with their own interests, strengths and pace of development. By getting to know each child and building on what they enjoy, we help them develop new skills, a positive sense of self, confidence and growing independence.

Our staff

Our experienced and caring team brings a wide range of skills and a shared commitment to helping children feel safe, happy and supported. Some team members have been with us for more than ten years, and many have chosen Kineton Playgroup for their own children too.

Our team includes our Manager, Deputy Managers, Senior Practitioners, Practitioners, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and dedicated Assistants. We work together to provide a welcoming, inclusive environment and get to know each child’s individual needs and interests.

We provide at least one adult for every eight children aged three and over, and one adult for every four children under three. We plan our staffing carefully to support children’s care, learning and development.

All staff receive safeguarding and child protection training, alongside food hygiene training. Every member of staff who works directly with children holds a paediatric first aid qualification.

Through regular in-house refresher training, external courses and further qualifications, we continue to develop our knowledge and skills across Playgroup and our clubs.

Find out more about our staff, their roles and the experience they bring by visiting our Meet the Staff page.

Where we play

Situated on the Kineton Primary School site, our purpose-built home, Helen’s Place, offers a welcoming space for children to play, learn and explore.

Inside, we have two spacious rooms. Our main playroom offers opportunities for role play, arts and crafts, construction and much more. Our quiet room provides a cosy space to enjoy books, relax and come together for register and story time.

Our secure, enclosed outdoor area is full of opportunities for adventure. Children can ride bikes along our little road, create imaginative games in the playhouse and explore the sandpit. A large covered area helps us enjoy outdoor learning throughout the year, whatever the weather.

We also have access to the school fields and our Forest School area, giving children even more space to discover the natural world. From collecting sticks and building to noticing seasonal changes, these experiences encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and a love of the outdoors.

Educational Aims and Objectives

At Kineton Playgroup, we nurture children’s curiosity, confidence and enjoyment of learning through play, exploration and meaningful experiences.

Our educational programme follows the seven areas of learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). These areas are closely connected, and each has an important part to play in supporting children’s development.

The three prime areas lay the foundations for learning, relationships and wellbeing:

Communication and language – developing listening, understanding and communication skills.
Physical development – building movement, coordination and control through active play and everyday activities.
Personal, social and emotional development – supporting confidence, friendships, understanding feelings and growing independence.

We build on these foundations through four specific areas:

Literacy – nurturing a love of stories, books and rhymes, alongside early reading and writing skills.
Mathematics – exploring numbers, counting, shapes, patterns and measurement through play.
Understanding the world – discovering people, communities, nature and the world around us.
Expressive arts and design – encouraging imagination and creativity through art, music, movement and pretend play.

Our team plans experiences around children’s interests, strengths and individual needs, helping every child take part and make progress at their own pace.

We also promote British values in ways that young children can understand: making choices, taking turns, following shared rules, respecting others and recognising that everyone is valued.

Explore how we promote British values in everyday play, and read more about our educational aims and the characteristics of effective learning: playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically here.