Avenue Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Westcliff-On-Sea for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2011, with 30 places.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SS0 7JXWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 17 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily at this setting and are greeted warmly by staff. They find their name cards and place them in the self-registration box before hanging their bags on their pegs. Very quickly, children are engaged in a range of activities and games with their friends and with adults. They demonstrate positive attitudes to their play, sharing the resources and waiting for their turn. Staff act as positive role models and gently remind children of the expected behaviours.
Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum. Staff use their comprehensive understanding of their key children to plan interesting and exciting activities that support and extend children's learning. For example, children dig in the sand and search for shells and pebbles following a recent trip to the beach. Staff understand what motivates children. They consider how to organise the environment to meet children's interests. For example, children who enjoy connecting spend long periods of time creating large vehicles from magnetic shapes.
Children confidently lead their play. They engage and interact with peers, showing kindness and respect as they collaborate on ideas. For example, they create ramps for the toy cars, exploring what happens to their speed when the ramps get higher.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide further opportunities for children to develop mathematical language through their play and learning n develop self-evaluation further to consider the impact that training has on the quality of teaching and curriculum improvements.
- 17 July 2023Good
- 24 November 2017Good
- 8 October 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Avenue Playgroup
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.