What happened to ‘playschool’?

[Granolaandcoconut]

When I was small (I was born in late 80s) my mum used to drop me off at playschool, which was in a church hall, run by other mums, I think there was a retired teacher there too, but they were all working on a voluntary basis. I doubt any were DBS checked!
I was dropped off in the morning and picked up about lunchtime.
I guess it was a cross between playgroup and nursery, because our mums and dads didn’t stay with us.
As far as I’m aware, there isn’t such a thing anymore?
Does anyone else remember these and wonder why they’re not around any longer.

I run a Playgroup. Sessional care, so mornings only although you can come all day.

Childcare has to be regulated now and staff qualified to a certain level. We use volunteers sometimes but only if we have the right amount of qualified staff with them. We have safeguarding training and paediatric first aid training.

That's why most of the Play school type groups you see now require parents to stay.

My little GD goes to one. Kids are aged 2-3 and then they graduate onto more formal nursery when the Govt funded hours kick in

We call them 2-3 groups in my corner of Scotland. 2 hours 2 or 3 days a week, drop off and leave. Gets them ready for proper nursery that they start the term after their 3rd birthday.

@Sweak

Aren't these just called pre schools now? Run 9 til 12 then 12.30 til 3 for afternoon session. Many allow them to stay 9 to 3. Term time only and often running in village halls.

They aren't run by mums now though but early years staff with the level 2 or level 3 qualification and fully DBS checked

That is the change in staffing that happened after Ofsted was introduced and Nursery Vouchers' then free places were introduced. The organisation had to be taken to a much higher level. The old playgroups relied mainly on volunteer staff and could do what they liked.

Lots of preschools here (used to be 3+ but often now 2+ since funded hours) and I far prefferthem to commercial nurseries.

I moved from an area that had preschools as a year at school and far prefer our system where it isn't school-like!

They have morphed into preschools where I live. My mum was involved in the 90s and even as a teacher had to do the training course! I think as childcare and early years education standards have risen its evolved into being run by paid staff

I didnt realise it was unusual. In my immediate area there are 3 preschools to choose from and 2 commercial nurseries. But most families dont have 2 fulltime working parents so there is the flexibility I guess.

I went to one too. Was fab and my auntie ran it.
It closed because they were subject to the same regulations as nurseries ie staff had to have childcare qualifications rather than be experienced mums (as in the past), they needed written policies for everything, got inspected, allergies became a thing, needed insurance (think they previously were consider low risk and covered by general church insurance or insurance wasn’t really a thing as no one sued).

Basically it used to be something older women ran with other women on a fairly informal basis for small charge. As a society it was decided that we didn’t want informal group care.

In all honest I’m not it’s made children safer or happier. Most of the women who ran these playgroups were educated and experienced mums and probably better than the 21 year old key worker in a nursery.

Most families here I mean.

I went to one in about 1980. Mum still has photos of our nativity play! I was an angel . I loved the painting, and remember plastic spotty beakers to drink from. It was in the parish hall next to the village church. I met a lot of new friends there, some whom I continued to hang out with into my teens.

I think because Mum wasn't expected to work at that time, it gave her a breather from looking after me, and also she could do something for herself for a couple of hours. Where I am now are creches attached to leisure centres but that's not the same as Playschool.

My kids went to one which, a few years on, is still running here in London. In a church hall, running 9am til midday during term time only. You could choose how many mornings you went for. Helpers mostly older ladies, and referred to as "Auntie" which I though was delightfully old fashioned; Auntie Angela, Auntie Janet, Auntie Jo etc
They have to be a bit more businesslike than they used to be because of Ofsted demands for "early years education" and I think the aunties were paid but I really don't think it was a "for profit" model, just a matter of covering costs.

Late 70's, early' 80's I went to summer play school. It was great, it was in a different school in the borough every year and you started at 9am and finish around 3pm. I think it was ages 5 to 11.

Children from all over the borough went and it was fun seeing friends that you made the previous summer. We had days out to interesting places and the rest of the time, just playing.

It was local authority run and there was very minimal contribution to attend. It would be a lifeline now for parents. I don't know why they don't bring it back.

I’ve got younger brothers born in the mid eighties. I remember taking the to play school, like yours, in the local church hall. It was just like mother and baby groups with lots of toys strewn around everywhere. Those were the days!

I went to a play scheme late 70s - early 80s, but it only ran during the school holidays in the community centre from 9-3.

@Whatamesssss

Late 70's, early' 80's I went to summer play school. It was great, it was in a different school in the borough every year and you started at 9am and finish around 3pm. I think it was ages 5 to 11.

Children from all over the borough went and it was fun seeing friends that you made the previous summer. We had days out to interesting places and the rest of the time, just playing.

It was local authority run and there was very minimal contribution to attend. It would be a lifeline now for parents. I don't know why they don't bring it back.

I think these were play schemes rather than play schools? Play schools were for pre school children

Mine went to playschool, it was about messy play, getting outside in the fresh air and learning to share. Then education got involved and it became more of a formal nursery.
Shame.

@x2boys I don't know, I'll have to ask my mum, it was Westminster City Council.

[quote Whatamesssss]@x2boys I don't know, I'll have to ask my mum, it was Westminster City Council.[/quote]
We had a similar thing in greater Manchester.

My little girl went to a playgroup, it was brilliant for us as she didn't go to childcare until she was 3 and a half. It was in a church hall for two hours and she went twice a week. It closed down after covid which is quite sad.

Yes I remember these. If I remember rightly though, they didn’t really provide full childcare, they would be quite limited hours and usually term time only. I think nowadays with it being more common for both parents to work, sometimes long hours, nurseries and childminders are favoured because they can provide full day childcare

Yes, exactly. I went to playschool in the 80s - it was a couple of hours, twice a week. My mum was a SAHM (as was typical then), so it was inteded to be a short break for parents, some socialisation for children and to get them used to spending time away from their mums before starting school. The only time I had ever spent away from my mum I had been with other family members!

The playgroup I helped run in the 1990s became the independent preschool that now runs from the grounds of the local primary school.
Tbh it was a pain to run like most voluntary enterprise and as 3 and 4 year olds were offered places at school it was difficult to keep going as it was. Even with nominal rent.

It was every morning. 9.15 to 11.30

They tend to be called Pre Schools now and are usually still in village hall type spaces but the staff are obviously paid and qualified early years practioners.
Often they are actually run as charities though, cost is fairly minimal, they tend to open 9-3pm term time only and you have to send a packed lunch if they are staying all day.

We have one of these it's just called playgroup. Generally aimed at 2yo before they start school nursery. They have to be Ofsted registered and inspected though so more of a faff. A paid person runs it supported by a rota of parent volunteers.

Five quid for a couple of hours childcare seemed like a good deal to me :)

I remember playschool and went to a fair few in the early years as we moved about a fair bit. I can still remember each individual church hall and the smell and the toys…. Playing traffic lights in the ride on cars and trikes racing around the ball making a racket 😂

But I think many local pre-schools are similar type things although it’s all a bit more serious now and sessions often go on longer. I drop my charge (nanny) to a local church pre school and he stays until 12.15. It seems very similar to me just a bit more formal!