Ridgeway Preschool

An allotment, stories acted out on a local field and a visiting architect give Ridgeway Preschool a practical, hands-on character. In July 2025, these experiences connected children's play with growing things, storytelling and construction. The emphasis was on doing things, with adults building learning around children's interests.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good, found safeguarding effective and identified effective strategies for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The important qualification concerned how adults were positioned: children playing independently sometimes missed support while staff concentrated on a small group.

Based at Ridgeway Sports & Social Centre on Main Road, the preschool has 25 places in total and offers care for children aged 2½ to 5. Its attendance model is a term-time all-day session, rather than year-round childcare.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the day through play, communication, physical development and growing independence. This is the shared early-years framework; Ridgeway's practical emphasis includes talking through disagreements, enjoying books and rhymes, developing balance and ball skills, and exploring shape and patterns.

Children's interests help determine what happens next. In July 2025, enthusiasm for construction led to different building materials and a visit from an architect. That linked the structures children were making with someone who designs buildings. Books, drawing materials and a construction area also gave children different ways to choose their play.

Small equipment made learning tangible. During July 2025, children transferred water using sponges and pipettes, with an adult introducing vocabulary linked to the activity. Elsewhere, picking spaghetti out of compost with tweezers brought together careful hand movements and comparisons of length. These were everyday play experiences with language and coordination built into them.

The daily routine combines group time with periods of free-flow play. A breakfast and snack bar runs in the morning, lunch sits between the morning and afternoon activities, and stories or singing come later in the day. That mix gives children opportunities to play independently and take part together, rather than spending the whole session in adult-led groups.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor learning is an explicit part of Ridgeway's approach, including exploration and messy play. In July 2025, children used the local field to dramatise stories and grew plants in the allotment. The physical setting became part of the learning: stories could involve movement, while planting gave children something living to look after.

A police visit also featured in the July 2025 account. Alongside the architect's visit, it introduced children to people whose work extends beyond preschool. Neither visit needs to become a weekly programme to have value; the concrete connection with children's interests is the useful detail.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a keyworker who observes their learning, plans next steps and shares progress with parents. This gives families a consistent person to discuss development with, while allowing activities to respond to what their child enjoys or needs help with.

Settling begins with opportunities for parents and children to spend time together at preschool before the start date. Keyworkers then support children as they become accustomed to attending. The annual open day provides another opportunity to meet the team and see the setting before joining.

In July 2025, staff joined children in their interests, including drawing alongside those who enjoyed making pictures. They also demonstrated games and gave children opportunities to lead other children. This made relationships part of play itself, rather than limiting adult contact to instructions or organised activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO and deputy SENCO advise staff about additional needs and access specialist help where appropriate. Ridgeway also has a safeguarding lead and deputy lead, and the team receives safeguarding training. All staff have paediatric first-aid training; these are practical arrangements, separate from the dated safeguarding judgement.

Families provide a packed lunch for the all-day session. In July 2025, staff supplied fruit snacks and encouraged healthy lunchbox choices. Group toothbrushing was also part of that period's practice, giving children a chance to rehearse a self-care skill with adult guidance.

Moving towards school involved cooperation between preschool, parents and school in July 2025. Parents received information about practical readiness, including managing a coat and using the toilet. The emphasis was on everyday independence, rather than simply introducing formal learning earlier.

Sessions and Attendance

All Day Sessions run from 8:15am to 3:45pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. For families organising work and childcare, both ends of that window matter: the pattern follows a preschool day and the school-term calendar.

Joining uses an enrolment form, which families return to put their child's name on the waiting list. Places are allocated under the preschool's admissions policy. The contact enquiry form and admin@ridgewaypreschool.co.uk provide routes for requesting the enrolment form and discussing joining.

Getting There

The address is Ridgeway Sports & Social Centre, Centenary Room Main Road, Ridgeway Sheffield, S12 3XR. The preschool sits on the South Yorkshire/Derbyshire border, serving Ridgeway and surrounding areas.

Funding and Paid Extras

In July 2025, the setting received early-years funding for children aged two, three and four. Families weighing funded attendance should distinguish that dated participation from the particular arrangement they intend to book.

Lunch is supplied from home for the all-day session, so food preparation forms part of the family's daily routine alongside the term-time attendance pattern.

• Support during independent play. In July 2025, some children missed adult input when practitioners became occupied with a small group. At a visit, ask how adults now distribute their attention across children choosing different activities.
• The term-time day. Sessions end at 3:45pm and follow school terms. Compare that pattern with your working day and holiday childcare needs before choosing it.
• Funding for your booking. Funding supported children aged two, three and four in July 2025. Ask how the funded entitlement would apply to your child's proposed attendance and what the associated charge structure would be.

Ridgeway suits families seeking a term-time all-day preschool pattern, with play, outdoor exploration and practical independence given clear attention. The keyworker arrangement and specialist-support roles offer concrete ways for families to discuss their child's needs.

The July 2025 activities give the setting personality: an architect extending construction play, plants growing in an allotment and stories taken onto a field. The balance is the adult-deployment concern. How staff support children during independent play is the most useful point to explore when deciding whether this preschool fits your child.