Bamford Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Hope Valley for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2021. Open since 2003, with 20 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
S33 0AYWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 12 November 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children very much enjoy exploring and investigating the activities and toys on offer at pre-school. They experiment and succeed in mixing coloured liquids using pipettes and syringes. Staff provide this activity to help children develop good hand control, working towards being able to hold a pencil. Staff found that children struggle with holding a pencil following COVID-19 lockdown periods.
Children watch and learn from staff who model how to negotiate with each other during play and how to share and take turns. This shows quieter children how they can join in play with others. Three- and four-year-old children form firm friendships. Children respond positively to the challenges that staff present them with. For example, children who are reluctant to venture in areas such as the muddy area, are enticed by staff who use some of the children's favourite toys to encourage them in. Children enjoy these new experiences and learn that it is safe to take these risks with support from adults.
Children enjoy stories that are read to them by staff, who use their voices to capture children's attention. Children become enthralled by familiar stories and join in with familiar phrases from the 'story of the week'. They shout out 'a squash and a squeeze' when the staff member pauses for them to join in.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - develop staff understanding of how to use questions to enhance children's learning, so that children have the opportunity to think and respond before an adult answers for them n review the suitability of resources, particularly games to support children's understanding of words and sounds, so that they are appropriate to the children's knowledge and do not adversely affect the learning opportunity.
- 12 November 2021Good
- 21 January 2020Needs improvement
- 16 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bamford Pre-School Playgroup
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.