Chilmington Green Primary School Nursery

Early sounds and enthusiastic number learning give Chilmington Green’s nursery its clearest character. This is the nursery within Chilmington Green Primary School in Ashford, with its educational work considered alongside the school’s wider early years provision. For parents, the distinction matters: the nursery has its own place in a child’s day, while the inspection judgement covers early years as a whole.

At the Ofsted inspection on 6 and 7 December 2022, early years provision was judged Outstanding. That is a dated early years judgement, rather than a separate nursery rating. The nursery-specific findings give it substance: early reading began with learning sounds, and number activities encouraged the youngest children to engage enthusiastically.

Sounds are a clear starting point for learning. In December 2022, nursery and early years practice helped children build the foundations of reading through recognising sounds. For a parent considering the nursery, this points to an introduction to reading that starts with the small building blocks children need before tackling words. The emphasis is on beginnings.

Number learning was another strength of the nursery and early years experience at that time. Children had plentiful opportunities to develop number skills, with enthusiasm evident among the youngest learners. Together, these findings give parents two concrete areas to consider: how children encounter sounds, and how they begin to understand numbers. Both concern the learning that happens before formal schoolwork becomes the main focus.

There was also contact across age groups. In December 2022, older pupils acted as buddies for early years children and took their role in helping younger children seriously. That adds a social dimension to the educational picture: young children had relationships with older pupils as well as adults.

Safeguarding responsibilities extended explicitly to the nursery in December 2022. Arrangements were effective, with staff understanding their responsibilities, recruitment checks scrutinising adults’ suitability, and leaders keeping their training current. For families, this is evidence about the systems surrounding children’s care, alongside the findings about learning.

Communication deserves a balanced reading. In December 2022, most parents viewed communication positively, with early years receiving especially positive feedback. Some parents across the school still wanted it strengthened, and improving those relationships remained an action for leaders. The early years feedback was encouraging, but the wider concern should remain part of parents’ assessment.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing the nursery therefore means choosing this stage of education; the decision about a later school place remains separate.

The older-pupil buddy relationships described above concern children’s experience within the school. They should be understood as social support, rather than an admissions advantage.

The nursery’s school is on Mock Lane, Ashford, TN23 3DS. The school telephone number is 01233228241. These details give families a direct point of contact and a precise location when considering the practical fit of attending.