The Drive Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Ilford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2025. Open since 1992, with 45 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 Redbridge
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Redbridge 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
IG1 3PPWhat 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, 18 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly welcome children on arrival, helping to create a friendly and emotionally secure environment. Children arrive happily and excitedly. They show strong bonds with staff and a clear sense of belonging. All children join in selfregistration by choosing their name. Older children do this independently, while younger children receive support suited to their developmental stage. Staff support children's social development effectively. For example, they encourage children to share, take turns and consider others. Staff model positive behaviour and guide children to manage their interactions. This helps children to build key personal, social and emotional skills.
Staff support children's sensory and imaginative play, such as by setting up a large mud kitchen with real utensils. They incorporate home-grown herbs, encouraging children to explore nature through smell and touch. Children help to plant, care for and harvest herbs. Staff use these opportunities to help children to develop responsibility, and learn about life cycles and sustainability.
Overall, staff know their key children well, understanding their abilities and next steps in learning. They work closely with managers to plan a curriculum that supports positive outcomes from each child's developmental starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review group activities, to ensure that all children are included and engaged in their learning n focus professional development opportunities to support staff to extend the quality of education even further.
- 18 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 1 July 2019Outstanding
- 14 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Drive 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.