Riverside Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Chippenham 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2022. Open since 1998, with 18 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 Wiltshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wiltshire 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
SN15 3PNWhat 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, 19 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show that they feel safe and secure in this friendly and welcoming preschool. They have formed very close relationships with the staff and happily chat to them during their play. Children talk about the foods they enjoy as they play a game together. They take turns to choose a card and decide whether to keep it or change it. Children are confident speakers and are keen to talk in a group about what they see in the pictures.
Staff have high expectations of the children. They enjoy taking responsibility as they are the 'special helper' for the day. Children help hand out snack and collect the name cards and show that they feel proud as they wear their special badge.
They demonstrate that they are motivated and interested in the activities. Children concentrate well as they make their models and play games. They persevere as they learn new skills, such as cutting the clay with a knife and rolling it into a ball in their hands. Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning. The manager has a clear vision for what she wants the children to learn and how to help them progress through the areas of learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve communication with parents so they know what their children's individual next steps in learning are and how they can support these at home n increase opportunities for children to be physically exuberant, to support their good health even further.
- 19 May 2022Good
- 30 November 2021Inadequate
- 15 October 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Riverside Pre-School
- 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.