# St Helens Playgroup St Helens Playgroup is a sessional pre-school at St Helen's Church, St Helen's Street, Ipswich, IP4 2LS, in Ipswich, Suffolk. It is registered for 22 children. Its Ofsted report card (April 2026) grades inclusion Expected standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Expected standard; safeguarding standards met. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 3 reviews (November 2026). Page: https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/st-helens-playgroup-251649 Last checked 5 November 2026. ## At a glance - Type: Sessional pre-school - Address: St Helen's Church, St Helen's Street, Ipswich, IP4 2LS - Registered places: 22 - Phone: 07507 455185 - Website: http://www.sthelensplaygroup.co.uk/ - Ofsted URN: 251649 ## Ofsted and official records Report card inspection, 22 April 2026. Report cards grade each area separately; there is no single headline grade. | Area | Grade | |---|---| | Inclusion | Expected standard | | Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard | | Achievement | Expected standard | | Behaviour and routines | Expected standard | | Children's welfare and well-being | Expected standard | | Leadership and governance | Expected standard | Safeguarding standards met. Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/251649 Official records: - Ofsted registration: Registered since July 1999 (Reference 251649). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/251649) - Inspections on record: 1 inspection (latest 22 April 2026). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/251649) - Registered places: 22 places (the most children it may care for at once). Source: Ofsted, checked 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/251649) ## Fees Fees, hours and ages: not published yet. ## Hours and ages Opening hours and ages: not published yet. ## Getting there Address: St Helen's Church, St Helen's Street, Ipswich, IP4 2LS Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=52.056444,1.164381 - Station: Derby Road (Ipswich), 0.9 miles - Station: Ipswich, 0.9 miles - 19 bus stops within 400 m - Park: Alexandra Park, 0.1 miles - Park: Christchurch Park, 0.3 miles - Park: Holywells Park, 0.5 miles - Playground: Playground, under 0.1 miles - Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles - Playground: Playground, 0.2 miles NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. ## Places and next steps Spaces: not published yet. In Suffolk there are about 3.5 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces. Source: ONS Census 2021. When to apply: https://toddly.co.uk/when-to-apply-for-nursery ## Ratings - Google: 5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews (as of 5 November 2026) ## Nearby schools Distances are in a straight line. | School | Phase | Ages | Ofsted | Nursery class | Distance | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | St Helen's Primary School | Primary | 3–11 | School remains Good (July 2023) | yes | under 0.1 miles | | St Margaret's CEVAP School, Ipswich | Primary | 4–11 | School remains Good (Improving) (May 2024) | | 0.3 miles | | Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery | Primary | 3–11 | Quality of education: Requires improvement; Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement; Personal development: Requires improvement; Leadership and management: Requires improvement (November 2024) | yes | 0.5 miles | | St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ipswich | Primary | 4–11 | Outstanding (March 2024) | | 0.6 miles | | St Matthew's Church of England Primary School, Ipswich | Primary | 4–11 | Good (October 2023) | | 0.8 miles | | Ipswich School | | 0–18 | | yes | 0.8 miles | | Rose Hill Primary | Primary | 4–11 | Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good (January 2025) | | 0.9 miles | | Cliff Lane Primary School | Primary | 3–11 | Good (February 2024) | yes | 0.9 miles | ## Nearby nurseries | Nursery | Ofsted | Day fee from | Hours | Distance | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Twizzle Tops Day Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/twizzle-tops-day-nursery-2589197) | Good | | | 0.4 miles | | [Little Leaders Childcare](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/little-leaders-childcare-ey433050) | Good | | | 0.4 miles | | [Garden House Nursery](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/garden-house-nursery-2721372) | Good | | | 0.5 miles | | [St. Marys Preschool Playgroup](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/st-marys-preschool-playgroup-251658) | Good | | | 0.5 miles | | [Ipswich Early Years](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/ipswich-early-years-2885051) | | | | 0.7 miles | | [Rosehill Playgroup](https://toddly.co.uk/nursery/rosehill-playgroup-251616) | Good | | | 0.8 miles | ## Frequently asked questions ### What is St Helens Playgroup's Ofsted rating? St Helens Playgroup was inspected on 22 April 2026 and given an Ofsted report card. Report cards grade each area separately rather than giving one headline grade: inclusion Expected standard, curriculum and teaching Expected standard, achievement Expected standard, behaviour and routines Expected standard, children's welfare and well-being Expected standard and leadership and governance Expected standard. Safeguarding standards met. ### How many children can St Helens Playgroup take? St Helens Playgroup is registered with Ofsted for up to 22 children at any one time. ### What is the nearest station to St Helens Playgroup? Derby Road (Ipswich) is the nearest station we know of, 0.9 miles away in a straight line. ### How do I contact St Helens Playgroup? You can call 07507 455185 and visit www.sthelensplaygroup.co.uk. ## Sources - Registration and inspections: Ofsted, as of 30 June 2026 (https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/251649) - Rating and review themes: Google, as of 5 November 2026 (https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=St+Helens+Playgroup&query_place_id=ChIJb1OlToCf2UcRs4TOyydo_zo) - Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools, as of 4 November 2026 (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/) Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.