Springfield Playgroup

Springfield Playgroup is a church based and owned sessional playgroup with charitable status, which has been running since 1968. We are open every morning in term time only from 9am - 12noon. From September 2025 we will open from 9am - 3pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as 9am - 12 noon on all weekday mornings.

We offer children, in the year before they go to school, up to 5 mornings a week, and from September 2025 up to 3 full days. When space allows we also offer children who are 2 but will be turning 3 in that term a place. We have a maximum of 26 children at each session and six staff, so we have a high ratio of adult:child.

We have a waiting list system and add children's names onto our waiting list from birth, priority is given to children who live in the Upminster area.

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 12.00pm. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am - 3pm.

page updated 1.10.25

Who to contact

Contact Name: Caroline Kinder
Contact Position: Manager
Telephone: 01708 223653 01708 223653
E-mail: welcome@springfieldupminster.co.uk
Notes: Please avoid contacting us between 9am and 9.30am and 11.45am and 12.15pm.

Where to go

Name: Upminster Baptist Church
Address: Upminster Baptist Church
Springfield Gardens
Upminster
Essex
Postcode: RM14 3EH
View RM14 3EH on a map
Notes: Upminster Baptist Church is very close to the high street. Springfield Gardens is just past the park opposite the petrol station. The church has parking facilities for drop off and pick up times only. We have a large hall, a separate quiet room for one to one or small group activities and a very large enclosed garden, with a sandpit, climbing frame, slide and a climbing wall.

Costs

Costs
Cost Description	Cost Type	Unit Price	Cost Unit
Private hours	Additional hours	£7.50	Hourly
0.30p per session (bread stick, pitta bread, crackers etc are offered every morning) charged termly: 0.30p x 14 weeks x 2 sessions a week	Meals/snacks	£8.40	Termly
We don’t charge for any consumables – if children are wearing nappies parents are asked to provide nappies, parents are asked to apply sun cream before children attend.	Consumables	No cost	Daily
Autumn Term – woodwork materials, refreshments for parents at Christmas show, Christmas crafts to make extra gifts. Charged termly: 0.70p x 14 weeks x 2 sessions a week	Consumables	£8.40	Termly
Summer Term – woodwork materials, fathers day gifts. Charged termly	Consumables	£8.40	Termly
Christmas Party	Additional voluntary services	£10.00	Per session
End of term party	Additional voluntary services	£10.00	Per session
Farm trip by coach	Additional voluntary services	£45.00	Per session

Details

Please see the fees and opening times document for the Early Years Provision on the right hand side of this page, under downloads. Disclaimer: Providers are required to offer reasonable alternatives to parents who opt out of voluntary charges. If you do not wish to pay for specific voluntary costs, please contact us so next steps can be discussed. Impromptu trips and activities which aren’t listed will have variable costs which parents can choose to opt in or out of paying if they wish to. All children who opt out of activities will continue to receive care adherent to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. Last updated: 6.3.2026

Availability

Has wheelchair access

Other notes

Most children in our care receive the Government funding. We do ask for an optional parent donation of £1 per session to help pay for extra's - snacks, fruit, cooking ingredients etc. We also have a fundraising event each year in the form of a sponsored event to help purchase equipment or to pay for expensive additional activities eg the chick egg hatching programme

Children staying all day must bring in their own healthy packed lunch

All children must bring in a fruit snack to eat mid morning

We offer so much more than just 3 hours of play in a church hall and garden. We have an allotment off site and take a small group of children once a week to visit and 'work' at the site. We visit the Church Monday group (meeting for the elderly) every half term and do activities together. The Men's Shed (retired men's group who meet at the church) come regularly to build things with the children using wood, nails and hammers, they also fix things for us and the children enjoying being taken to their work rooms to ask for something to be mended.

We have our tooth friendly nursery status and our Bronze Early Years London award.

We have very strong relationships with the local schools which helps with transition to school, we take the children to visit Upminster Infant School in the summer term.

We go on trips out to the local Library, Upminster Windmill, Upminster's Christmas Tree Festival and Barleylands Farm Park.

You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, just search Springfield Playgroup and you will see what is happening each week, we have so much fun!

Inclusion Information

Has wheelchair access
Details: We have in the past been able to accommodate a child who was a wheelchair user. We currently have a child using a specialist chair and walking frame; Has Special Needs provision
Special Needs Experience: Loss or Bereavement
Medical Needs
Language impairment
Learning difficulties
Asthma
Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASD
Serious allergy / Anaphilaxis
Motor impairment
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Physical impairment
Diabetes
Visual impairment
Severe dietary needs
Global Developmental Delay
Emotional needs
Details: We are willing to meet with parents to discuss their child's individual needs and to ensure we accommodate every child to our full ability to ensure every child has a fully inclusive time with us. Our staff are very experienced and we have dealt with children on the Autistic Spectrum, with speech and language difficulties, in a wheelchair, with allergies and with a feeding tube. We currently have a child attending with complex needs.; Has provision for special dietary needs
Experience: Yes
Details: We ensure that any food offered or baked with the children meets any allergy or dietary requirements. We will always check with the parent/carer before offering or using as cooking ingredients. We have had children with severe nut allergies and are trained in using an Epipen. Children will be required to bring their own packed lunch if staying all day. We have a food and packed lunch policy that parents are expected to follow and this encourages healthy eating. Staff are always seated with children when they are eating.; Can make special cultural provisions
Details: Whilst we are a Christian setting we do welcome children of other faiths, and embrace their life style and festivals celebrated.

Childcare Information

Vacancies

Has immediate vacancies
Details: We generally only have one intake a year in September, however, if we have spaces we will take children in January and April. We still have availability for January and April 2026.
Updated: 06/01/2026

Funded Places

Has 3 & 4 year old funding

Has 2 year old funding

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times

Opening Times
Day	Opening Time	Closing Time
Monday	9am	12 noon
Tuesday	9am	3pm
Wednesday	9am	3pm
Thursday	9am	3pm
Friday	9am	12 noon

Facilities

Allotment Plot
Playroom
Accessible Parking
Games
Garden
Home Corner
Walks to local park etc
Water play
Healthy Eating
Arts & Crafts
Visit & Outings
Car Parking
Kitchen
Quiet Room
Kitchen Facilities
PuzzlesJigsaws
Books & Storytelling
Internet Connection
Both indoor and outdoor activities
Role play dressing up
Messy Play Area
Climbing Frame
Sandpitsand play
Cookery
Music time
Sensory Play
Computer
Multicultural Themed Play
Construction toys
Music Room
Open Space
Disabled Access
Nature Exploration
Songs, Rhymes and Music
Sports
Out-door Play
Small world toys
Outdoor Playspace
Themed Sessions
Toys

School Pickups

Does not offer school pickups

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN: 2852513

Local Offer Details

Description: We open every morning in term time from 9am - 12 noon and 3 afternoons from 9am - 3pm. 26 children attend each session with 6 qualified staff. We have disabled access and a disabled toilet. We have a SENDCo and receive support from the Borough Area SendCo. One member of staff is ELSA trained and several staff have undergone training for Autism, SCD and Attention difficulties. Each child is allocated a keyworker who is responsible for their learning and development through individual planning. We work alongside the parents and any other professional services to support every child.
Contact Name: Caroline Kinder
Contact Telephone: 01708223653
Contact Email: springfieldpg13@gmail.com
Local Offer Age Bands: 0-5 years
Needs Level: Low
SEN Provision Type: Universal