Sandcastle Playgroup Limited
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Haverhill for children from birth to 8+, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2008, with 33 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 Suffolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Suffolk 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
CB9 9JEWhat 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.
- 18 April 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 12 October 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy their time at this well-established playgroup, which is extremely well trusted and respected by the local community. They become engrossed in their play in the thoughtfully and carefully created play spaces. Out in the 'orchard', children thrive as they explore and experience the natural environment. They care for the playgroup's pets. Children giggle and smile as they zoom down a grassy hill on a sled. They talk about their experience and encourage their friends to climb up the grassy bank to join in. Children confidently explore a range of sensory play activities. They experiment with coloured water and dig in the sand. Children feel foam, making marks as they spread it on a table.
The staff dedicate themselves to supporting children during their time at the playgroup. They help children to build on their social skills. The bonds that children build with staff are trusting and secure. Children make links in their learning as staff help them to find out about an animal they are interested in. They develop their imaginations as they freely choose from a selection of fancy dress items or pretend that their toy insect is being rescued by an astronaut.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- monitor provision more closely to ensure that agreed strategies to support the learning of children with SEND and children who speak English as an additional language are consistently put into practice n help all staff to further their understanding of, and achieve consistency in, delivering the highest quality of support for children's communication and language development.
- 12 October 2021Good
- 10 July 2015Outstanding
- 23 January 2009Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sandcastle Playgroup Limited
- 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.