About Us

We are open daily from 9:30am to 12:30pm during term time only.  We can accomodate up to 15 children per day and welcome all children with additional needs from birth to 5 years of age.  We have experience in providing care for children with a wide range of additional needs including social communication disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and complex medical conditions.

Our Approach to Learning

At Petts Wood Playgroup, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, using it as a guide to support each child’s early development. We appreciate that each child is unique and that's why we have developed a child-centred approach, offerring a multi-sensory curriculum to meet the needs of all our children.  

We know that young children learn best through play so by adapting the EYFS to include a wide range of hands-on experiences and sensory exploration as well as active play, we are able to meet each child where they are and help them to grow and develop in a way that works best for them.

Our aim is to create a warm and inclusive environment where every child feels confident, curious, and excited to learn!

A little bit of history...

The Petts Wood Playgroup for Children with Special Needs started on the 28th September 1968 by a group of volunteers from the Petts Wood United Reformed Church and the Petts Wood Methodist Church.

Over time the playgroup evolved and expanded. It was led by Larry Simpson from 1976 until her retirement at the end of 2024, a period of almost 50 years which touched the lives of hundreds of grateful families.

Our facilities and our approach have changed over the years but we have always put the wellbeing and education of our children at the forefront and will continue to do so for many years to come.

.... Into the present