Intake Pre-School

A sensory/sleep room for younger children, changing imaginative play for older ones, and a parent role in running the setting give Intake Pre-School its character. This Sheffield pre-school occupies a purpose-built building in the grounds of Intake Primary School and takes children from nine months to Reception age. It has 42 places in total.

Ofsted rated the setting Good at its July 2021 inspection. That is a dated judgement: the current offer centres on two rooms, child-led play and practical arrangements for involving families in care and learning.

Term-time operation is a decisive consideration here. Opening hours extend from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, but the year follows a 38-week pattern. For families whose childcare needs follow school terms, that can be a useful fit; holiday cover needs separate planning.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillar Room, for nine months to three years, combines low-level and tabletop activities for children at different stages of movement with a joint sensory/sleep room, a changing area visible from the play space and outdoor play in different weather conditions.

Butterfly Room, for three to five years, has a large space with free-flow outdoor access, while its emphasis on independence includes preparing snack, pouring drinks, communicating needs and developing early reading and number skills through children's interests.

Learning and Activities

Intake's approach gives children a say in what they explore, with adults adapting activities and play spaces to their interests.

In the younger room, story sacks, yoga, singing and messy activities provide different ways to participate. Sensory experiences include reflective materials and natural objects, while stay-and-play sessions support attention, understanding and early language. The combination makes movement, communication and exploration part of the same day rather than separate tasks.

Older children's imaginative spaces change with their interests: examples include an airport and a bear cave. Real cups and other everyday objects bring familiar home experiences into play, giving children opportunities to practise responsibility and discover how their actions affect objects around them.

Children also help make decisions. They can vote for a story or contribute ideas for a role-play theme, and work with adults on rules such as tidying up. These are concrete ways to practise expressing a preference, taking turns and understanding shared expectations.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is encouraged across different weather conditions, with direct access from the older room. That makes outside exploration part of the learning spaces rather than a separate occasional activity.

Ramadan and Diwali are marked through events where invited speakers, staff and children can share beliefs and traditions. The emphasis is on hearing different experiences and discussing them, supported by books, visual materials and play resources reflecting different cultures.

Care routines begin with the family. During settling sessions, parents and the keyworker discuss and record the younger child's routines, creating a practical reference for everyday care. Settling arrangements are discussed with parents rather than imposed as a single method.

The move between rooms is also a shared process. A keyworker meets parents as a child approaches the transition to the older room, which can happen at three or when the child shows readiness. That keeps the family involved in a change affecting both familiar adults and daily activities.

For children with additional needs, the SENDCo meets parents to discuss support and prepares an Individual Plan, a regularly reviewed set of learning targets incorporating relevant advice from external agencies. Meetings and visits bring those professionals into the process. Activities can be adjusted to a child's accessible height, and the building has a disabled toilet and step-free room access.

Observation is combined with parents' knowledge, children's work and input from other professionals to plan next steps. This gives families a role in understanding development beyond what happens during a session. Support also extends to the transition into school, while the older room practises self-care and expressing needs.

There are designated safeguarding lead roles and a safeguarding policy. These are arrangements, rather than a current inspection judgement on their effectiveness.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Sharrard Drive, Intake, Sheffield, S12 2FB. Intake operates Monday to Friday, opening from 8am to 6pm during its 38-week term-time year. Paid childcare can be used before universal funding begins, alongside funded hours, or while funding is claimed at another provider.

An enquiry form or telephone call starts registration. The main booking points are January, April and September: children already attending get the first opportunity to increase their hours, after which the waiting list is considered in date order. This is a durable allocation rule that matters when planning a later increase in attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes Funded 3 & 4 Year Old Early Education, Funded Early Learning For 2 Year Old's, 30 Hours Funded Childcare and the Working Parent Entitlement for younger children. The universal offer provides up to 15 hours a week during term time from the beginning of the term after a child's third birthday; eligible two-year-olds can receive the same weekly hours from the beginning of the term after their second birthday. Eligibility applies to the extended and younger-child entitlements.

The funded-hours guidance separates extra paid childcare from entitlement hours: additional services or hours cannot be a condition of taking the funded place. For eligible children, Early Years Pupil Premium is additional funding to support development and care, with a parent meeting to explain its intended use after eligibility is confirmed.

Hot lunches and pre-school snacks are charged separately, including the snack option during funded attendance; families can instead send a packed lunch and a healthy snack from home. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Being on Intake Primary School's grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time attendance. The 38-week year needs to match your working pattern. At a visit, ask which session bookings suit your proposed funded and paid hours, and which care items you should supply or pay for.
• Later increases in hours. Existing children have priority when hours are allocated in January, April and September. Consider how that booking sequence fits any planned change in work or attendance.
• School-site expectations. Sharing Intake Primary School's grounds does not secure Reception admission. Treat childcare and the school application as separate decisions.
• Complaint record. Ofsted's records list a complaint dated 17 July 2025; its outcome is not published, so families may want to ask the nursery about it.

Intake suits families seeking term-time childcare, including those combining funded hours with additional paid attendance. Its strongest practical details are the younger children's sensory/sleep provision, the older children's hands-on independence and a SEND planning process involving parents and external professionals.

Parents can also contribute through volunteering or the management board. That gives family involvement a practical form beyond conversations about an individual child. The choice turns on whether the term-time calendar and booking priorities fit your household, alongside the dated Good judgement and the later complaint record.