Woldingham Nursery Class

A garden to tend, Woodland Trust areas to explore and a village hall that doubles as a stage for nursery events give Woldingham Nursery Class a recognisable local character. Children learn through play, with practical goals that include baking, riding a pedal trike and managing their own coat. Independence runs through the day.

Based at Woldingham Village Hall on Station Road, the nursery welcomes children aged 2 to 5 and has 36 places in total. At its 15 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and reported that targeted support helped children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, make good progress. The improvement point concerned quieter children's participation in group activities, an important consideration alongside that positive judgement.

Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance sit within a term-time calendar. This is a practical option for families seeking nursery education around the school year, with outdoor play, individual planning and preparation for the move to primary school.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, that means learning through play, conversation, movement and practical activities. Half-term topics include transport, different cultures and food from around the world. These give activities a shared theme while leaving room for children's interests to change the plans.

Concrete learning goals make the approach easy to understand. Children work towards following a recipe for a fairy cake, building with discarded materials, inventing a story and fastening their coat. These combine language, coordination and self-care with something a child can actually do. The curriculum also includes police visitors and visits involving small animals, extending experience beyond the everyday resources in the nursery.

Choice and adult guidance both have a place. Continuous Provision means resources children can use to lead their own play; Enhanced Planning adds adult-directed activity where a child has a particular developmental need. Staff use questions, explanations and demonstrations to extend an activity rather than simply supervise it. For parents, the useful distinction is between time to explore independently and teaching planned around an identified next step.

In November 2022, an ice activity brought experimentation and vocabulary together: children tried salt and other materials to free trapped objects, while staff explained a new word associated with digging. Stories and singing also formed part of the day. That example gives substance to the curriculum's emphasis on language through practical experience.

Rooms and Ages

TADPOLES and FROGS are the younger and older groups, organised by the school year children will eventually join rather than by a stated birthday cut-off. Main sessions use two rooms in the village hall. Handwashing facilities are available in both, and the wider accommodation includes a kitchen and toilets.

The routine moves between children's chosen play, an adult-supported topic activity and smaller-group or individual work. Painting, puzzles, construction materials, play dough and a book corner offer different ways to join in. Daily mark-making and storage drawers labelled with photographs and words connect early literacy with ordinary play and tidying. Children do not need to approach every activity in the same way.

Outdoor and Community Life

Climbing and balancing equipment, ride-on toys and provision for sand and water play give outdoor time several purposes: movement, exploration and imaginative play. Children also help care for the nursery garden. Looking after a growing space makes the environment something they participate in, rather than simply a backdrop.

Regular park outings are complemented by visits to nearby churches and Woodland Trust areas. The main village hall is occasionally used for the nativity play and annual sports day, bringing nursery events into a larger shared space. These experiences broaden the day beyond the main session rooms; the outings are regular, rather than tied to a stated weekly timetable.

Relationships and Communication

A familiarisation visit with a parent or carer begins the settling process. The All About Me pack records interests, dislikes and family information, giving staff a starting point that is personal to the child. Each child then has a key person who helps them settle, builds the relationship with home and creates a play plan from observations.

Planning is revisited each term, with development tracking added after a child has attended for a term. Parents have consultations and receive written reports, while half-term curriculum plans and key texts offer ways to connect learning at nursery and at home. The key worker system also includes half-term targets. Together, these arrangements give families several opportunities to understand what their child is working towards and contribute information of their own.

In November 2022, staff used a new child's interest in cars as a starting point for exploring trains, joining in with track-building and moving the trains. It is a useful example of settling through familiar interests, rather than expecting a child to engage immediately with an unfamiliar group activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Additional support follows an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle: staff identify a need, agree support, put it into practice and review its effect. A SEND Support Plan sets out adjustments and interventions with the key person, SENCO and parents. A One Page Profile brings together a child's strengths and difficulties so adults have a shared understanding of how to help.

Parents are encouraged to take part in half-term reviews of support plans. Specialist advice can be sought with family involvement, and practical support may include picture prompts, adapted resources or an individual introduction to a story before group reading. These are mechanisms for responding to a child's needs, rather than a blanket promise of a particular outcome.

Physical access has concrete provision too: the building is on one level, with wide corridors, wheelchair-width internal doors, an accessible toilet and a ramp to the outdoor play space. Large-print materials and pictorial information are among the communication options. For a family managing mobility or communication needs, these details help make the support discussion specific.

The nursery has a designated safeguarding lead and safer recruitment procedures. Its behaviour approach uses encouragement, distraction and redirection, with responses adjusted to a child's developmental understanding; incidents requiring disciplinary action are communicated to parents. Children with medical conditions have an individual healthcare plan agreed with their family.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Woldingham Village Hall, Station Road, Woldingham, Surrey CR3 7EA. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, over 38 term-time weeks each year. School holidays therefore need a separate childcare arrangement for families who require care throughout the year.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. Full days are also offered. A pre-booked lunch session, noon to 1pm, extends the morning, while afternoon attendance includes the lunch session. This gives families choices between a shorter morning, a morning continuing through lunch, an afternoon and a full day.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone or by email. If the requested sessions cannot be offered, the admissions policy provides for a waiting list and contact when a suitable place becomes free. That is a booking procedure, rather than an indication of present availability.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is offered for eligible two-year-olds through Early Learning for 2 year olds and the working-parent entitlement, alongside universal 15-hour funding for three- and four-year-olds and 30-hour funding for eligible children. Delivery is term-time, and funded hours can be used across the session choices, including lunch sessions. Additional sessions beyond a child's entitlement are charged separately.

Children bring a packed lunch and drink for lunch attendance; snacks and drinks supplied by the nursery carry no separate charge, and its terms also specify no additional charges for non-food items. Its food policy excludes nut-containing ingredients from nursery food and asks that birthday sweets contain neither nuts nor nut traces.

A registration charge applies when holding a place, except for children receiving Early Years Funding. Fees are due within the first week of each term and remain payable during sickness, holidays and weather-related closures. Leaving requires a full term's written notice or payment instead, making the notice period a material part of the family budget.

Getting There

On-site parking includes two dedicated disabled bays. The ramp to the outdoor area and single-level building are useful practical details for families using mobility aids.

The nursery describes close links with Woodlea Primary School, including children's attendance at events such as the Harvest Festival. Attending nursery does not guarantee a school place: families still use the local authority admissions process. Preparation also includes individual and small-group work before school, and a detailed learning report sent to the receiving school.

• Quieter children in groups. In November 2022, more confident children sometimes received the hands-on opportunities while quieter children were overlooked, including during butter-making. Ask how staff now ensure each child gets a turn and can contribute ideas.
• Term-time attendance and notice. The nursery operates for 38 weeks, with morning, afternoon and full-day choices, and requires a full term's written notice or payment instead. Match both the calendar and the commitment to your family's needs, and obtain current prices in a written quotation.
• Packed lunches and allergies. Lunch attendance requires food from home, and the nursery's food policy excludes nut ingredients and nut traces in birthday sweets. Families affected by allergies should confirm current practice and discuss their child's healthcare plan.
• Settling and individual support. Familiarisation visits, a key person and jointly reviewed SEND plans provide specific starting points. At a visit, discuss how these would work for your child, including any communication or mobility adjustments.

Woldingham Nursery Class suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance during term time. Its strongest practical appeal is the combination of child-led play, tangible independence goals, outdoor resources and contact with the surrounding village. Individual planning and structured SEND arrangements add substance to the care offer.

The Good judgement dates to November 2022. Families should weigh that positive assessment alongside its concern about quieter children's involvement, then consider the packed-lunch arrangement, school-holiday closures and term-long notice commitment. For parents whose routines fit that model, this is a nursery with a clear educational purpose and a strong connection to its local surroundings.