Sticky Fingers Pre-School

Voting for stories, comparing construction sizes and practising cutlery skills with dough gave Sticky Fingers Pre-School a practical, participatory character in May 2025. This is the Redbridge setting, based within Redbridge Primary School in Millbrook, Southampton. Its capacity is 32 children in total; the children attending in May 2025 were aged two to four.

At its 7 May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and judged safeguarding effective. Two improvement priorities temper that judgement: making children's next learning steps more precise and keeping parents consistently informed about development.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered, giving families different ways to organise preschool around their week.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, the May 2025 examples included learning through construction, conversation, songs and practical play. It is the common foundation for early-years provision, rather than a separate enrichment programme.

In May 2025, children compared the dimensions of construction materials and talked about familiar places after finding local pictures. These were recognisable starting points for mathematical language and conversation.

Choosing the day's story or song involved a vote, with children counting the choices together. This brought number work into a real decision and gave children experience of accepting an outcome when their preference did not win. Their ideas influenced the day.

Practical independence also featured in teaching. Dough play with knives and forks gave children a chance to rehearse movements used at meals. Children who lacked opportunities to use steps at home could practise climbing them at preschool.

The limitation was precision. In May 2025, leaders had planned the curriculum, but some practitioners did not fully understand why particular knowledge or skills were being taught. Learning targets could be too general to guide the next piece of teaching closely. For parents, the useful distinction is between a busy activity programme and a clear explanation of what their own child is working towards.

Groups and Environment

Paddington Bear and The Smartest Giant in town are among the named key groups at Redbridge. They are key-group names, rather than descriptions of separate age-banded rooms. This gives families a recognisable group identity alongside the setting's broader preschool offer.

In May 2025, the preschool occupied a purpose-built building on the primary-school site. Children could turn to resources in a calming area to help manage their feelings. Staff had developed this space after wellbeing training. It provided a practical place to pause within the learning environment.

Familiar songs accompanied changes of activity, including handwashing and the end of the session. A repeated musical cue made the routine understandable through something children could join in with, rather than relying only on spoken instructions.

Relationships and Communication

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children had secure relationships with their key person and that visual prompts and signing supported communication, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The concrete mechanisms matter: pictures helped explain the sequence of the day, while signing gave children another way to express what they needed.

During that same month, older children practised managing their clothing, looking after possessions and clearing away after snacks. Staff maintained consistent expectations, and children sometimes helped one another follow the preschool's rules. Care and preparation for the next stage were closely connected through everyday tasks.

Cooking provided a link between preschool and home in May 2025, with recipes passed to families to try together. However, updates about developmental milestones were inconsistent. Friendly relationships with staff and dependable information about learning are different things; families need both to understand how home activities can support the next step.

Tapestry memos carry Redbridge's reminders and important updates, alongside termly newsletters. That gives families a channel for setting news. It should be considered separately from the individual developmental information highlighted in the improvement priorities.

Moving Towards School

In May 2025, staff worked with other professionals on transitions, and children had opportunities to explore school play spaces before moving on. Familiarity with a setting can make the change more concrete for a young child.

Sharing a site with Redbridge Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process for a state-school application; preschool attendance and school admission are separate decisions.

Sessions and Attendance

Redbridge offers a morning session from 8.30am to 11.30am, an afternoon session from 12pm to 3pm, and a full day from 8.30am to 3pm. The shorter patterns suit families arranging preschool around part of the day, while the full-day option brings a longer period of attendance into the same setting.

In May 2025, the preschool operated on weekdays during school terms.

The setting is at Redbridge Primary School, Studland Road, Millbrook, Southampton, SO16 9BB. Its direct contact is sf.redbridge@stickyfingersps.co.uk or 02380 764717. A Redbridge waiting-list form provides the application route.

Funding and Paid Extras

In May 2025, the preschool received funding for free early-years education for children aged two, three and four. Redbridge also offers support with claiming childcare funding. Eligibility and the arrangement for a particular child's attendance need to be distinguished from that inspection-time participation.

Families should obtain a current written quotation from the preschool when considering paid childcare.

• Teaching precision. In May 2025, some learning targets were too broad and practitioners' understanding of the curriculum needed strengthening. During a visit, ask for an example of a child's next step and how an activity is chosen to develop it.
• Individual updates. Developmental communication was inconsistent in May 2025, while Redbridge uses Tapestry memos and termly newsletters for setting information. Ask how individual progress is discussed alongside those general updates.
• The complete childcare cost. Funding participation was established in May 2025. What would your chosen attendance pattern include for funded hours, paid hours, meals and non-food consumables?
• School admission. The preschool shares Redbridge Primary School's site. Plan the Reception application separately, because attending preschool does not secure a school place.

Sticky Fingers suits families considering morning or afternoon preschool, as well as those wanting its full-day pattern. The strongest May 2025 examples were grounded in ordinary life: making choices, handling cutlery, managing belongings and using familiar routines.

The Good judgement sits alongside specific work to sharpen teaching targets and improve developmental updates. For families, the deciding issue is how clearly those everyday experiences connect to their own child's learning and how consistently that connection is shared with them.