St Matthews Playgroup
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Gloucestershire for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open 8am to 6pm. £6.50 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2022. Open since 1979, with 24 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| All ages | £6.50We charge £6.50 per hour for ours. £7.00From September 2026 |
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
Funded hours
Universal government funding is available for all 3 and 4 year olds, starting the term after their third birthday, this covers a total of 15 hours per week, 30 hour funding is available for all pre-school children that meet the 30 hour working families criteria set out on the GOV.uk website and must be applied for by parents. 30-hour funding is now available for eligible 2 year olds. funding for 2.
Worth knowing. All funding codes to be applied for by parents and provided to setting prior to starting. Funding forms must be completed and signed by parents termly.
What childcare usually costs in Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Gloucestershire 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
GL5 4LHWhat 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, 29 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in the care of the highly nurturing staff at the playgroup. They grow in confidence and settle quickly. Children arrive happy as staff chat to parents about children to ensure their continuity of care. Staff work hard to get to know children and their families and learn about their home life. They tailor the curriculum according to children's individual needs and interests. This helps children to feel safe, develop a sense of belonging and feel ready to explore.
Children form strong bonds with staff, who are positive role models. Staff skilfully help children to learn the 'golden rules' at the playgroup, which is demonstrated in children's good behaviour and kindness. They say phrases such as 'you can have this one' and 'you can share mine' when playing with their friends. Staff encourage and motivate children by celebrating their achievements. For instance, staff award
'star of the day' to children, which helps to build their self-esteem and promotes a sense of pride in what they can do.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure that staff support quieter children as much as possible to express their thoughts and ideas and to help them benefit fully from learning experiences n strengthen the arrangements for monitoring staff practice to ensure that minor weaknesses are identified and addressed swiftly, to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level.
- 29 September 2022Good
- 1 December 2016Good
- 2 December 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Matthews Playgroup
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- Is £6.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.