Woodford Pre-School Playgroup
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in London for children from birth to 8+, open 09:15 to 12:15, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 1992, with 32 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
E18 2PAWhat 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, 10 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Practitioners warmly welcome parents and children into the safe environment of the pre-school. Parents appreciate having time to settle their children. There are opportunities for parents to talk to practitioners before they leave. Children quickly find their name and place it under their key worker's photo. The consistent routine provides children with familiarity. They know that cues such as the shaking of a tambourine indicates circle time. Children benefit from a range of activities that engage them and support their development.
Children have access to a secure garden. When the weather is wet, there is plenty of opportunity for physical exercise inside. For example, children ride trikes and dance with ribbon streamers. They learn to take risks, as practitioners demonstrate how to balance on the assault course.
Practitioners enthusiastically read to children. They capture their imagination with actions to the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' that children copy. Children enjoy playing musical instruments as they sing nursery rhymes. They listen carefully to instructions to start and stop playing. Children at the sand table share resources and play cooperatively. This develops their social skills for future learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to plan activities that contribute towards achieving the ambition set out in the curriculum and continue to build on what children already know n develop children's language and understanding around healthy lifestyles by strengthening interactions at mealtimes n strengthen relationships with professionals such as health visitors to ensure a two-way sharing of information to benefit children's development.
- 10 March 2023Good
- 6 June 2017Good
- 29 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Woodford 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.