Barcombe Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Lewes 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 January 2023. Open since 2011, with 26 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in East Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BN8 5BHWhat 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, 11 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children eagerly come into the playgroup. They greet the staff with pleasure.
Relationships are warm and trusting. Children will often seek out a member of staff for reassurance and comfort. They clearly feel safe and secure. Children access the resources with confidence. They behave well, responding to the high expectations of the staff. Where there are minor disagreements between children, staff deal with the situations sensitively, explaining what is and what is not, acceptable behaviour.
Children learn to be independent, pouring drinks and spreading honey on their toast. They follow the established routines. For example, they hang their coats up when they arrive and wash their hands before eating. Sharing and turn taking are an established part of daily life for the children. They know that they must wait for their turn when playing games together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus activity planning more precisely on individual children's specific learning needs, to ensure activities offer appropriate challenge and extend all children's learning n keep parents regularly informed about their child's next steps in learning and the activities they can do at home to support their progress.
- 11 January 2023Good
- 27 March 2017Good
- 11 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barcombe 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.