Playgroup in Cullercoats branded inadequate by Ofsted

By Craig Buchan
Published 19th Jan 2023, 13:26 BST
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Poor training and unchallenging activities have resulted in a Cullercoats playgroup receiving an ‘inadequate’ classification by regulators.

Cullercoats Methodist Church Playgroup was given the lowest possible classification by Ofsted, the government regulatory body for education facilities.

The report from the December 7, 2022 inspection stated that staff are not provided with the necessary training and have weaknesses in their safeguarding knowledge.

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It also highlighted that children are able to run around the room unnoticed, and a failure to teach children to put away toys leads to a “disorderly environment” in which children slipped and fell on toys during the inspection.

The playgroup is located at Cullercoats Methodist Church.The playgroup is located at Cullercoats Methodist Church.
The playgroup is located at Cullercoats Methodist Church.

According to Ofsted, activities at the playgroup are not always challenging enough for older children, which “hinders the progress children make” in their development.

Ineffective partnerships with parents and other childcare providers was also flagged by the report.

Positives highlighted include that children enjoyed reading activities and received clear messages regarding health and hygiene.

The playgroup had been rated ‘good’ after the previous inspection in April 2017, and had been classified as ‘requires improvement’ at the inspection before that.