Green Cabinet member Sue Shanks opens new playgroup building at Dorothy Stringer

20 May 2011. Green councillor Sue Shanks opened the new, modular building at Dorothy Stringer Playgroup in Brighton and Hove on Friday 20 June.

Councillor Sue Shanks, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Good early years provision is so important for the children’s development and this new light and airy building is a big step forward in improving early learning here at Dorothy Stringer.

"It great to see a playgroup originally set up nearly 40 years ago to provide work experience for the students at the High School is still doing this and helping to provide us with the early years workers of the future.

“Congratulations to everyone connected with this playgroup for achieving such a fantastic Ofsted report that just shows children at this nursery really are getting the very best in their early years.”

The new building, which is on land owned by Brighton & Hove City Council, is designed for children and is light and airy, with more space for children with registered numbers rising from 18 to 24.

The new building was designed to meet the needs of the site and the playgroup and includes low windows, a canopy, a new office and a bigger kitchen.

The Playgroup, which has been open since 1973 and originally set up to provide work experience for students from Dorothy Stringer High School, is highly rated by regulator Ofsted. The group offers places for children from two including free early learning places for 3 and 4 year olds.

The total cost of the project was £150,000 and was funded by Brighton and Hove City Council from the Sure Start Early Years capital grant. The funding was aimed at improving buildings for early years groups in the private and voluntary sector. The building was developed by the Council in partnership with Westridge, the Council’s building partner.

The playgroup was inspected by Ofsted in March 2011 and was judged to be outstanding in every category. Inspectors said: “The setting is highly organised and a confident and experienced staff team provides excellent support for individual children's development. A highly attractive and consistently well planned and prepared play environment is provided, with continuous opportunities for free-flow and outdoor play. Children engage in a high level of child led activities and staff also provide high quality one-to-one teaching. The planning of the learning activities and use of observation and assessment is exemplary, with key persons closely involved in ensuring all children make significant progress with their learning. The setting maintains strong links and partnerships with parents and improvement is consistently well maintained through the detailed application of self-evaluation.”