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Nursery at Clarendon Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Story time in the school library, dance and music give Clarendon’s nursery a connection to school life beyond its own classrooms. Play remains the starting point. This is the nursery at Clarendon Primary School on Knapp Road in Ashford, catering for children aged 2 to 5, with a purpose-built early years environment for exploration indoors and outside.
For the youngest children, eligibility shapes attendance: entry begins the term after their second birthday, requires government funding and is limited to 15 hours until they turn 3. FEET-funded children receive priority for the two-year-old places. That makes the nursery’s age range only part of the practical picture for families.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning through play with activities guided by adults. In parent terms, children work on talking and listening, movement and relationships alongside early literacy, maths, creative expression and learning about their world. Development Matters and Birth to 5 matters also inform curriculum planning. The emphasis extends beyond what children know to how they explore, stay interested and think through ideas.
Indoor and outdoor learning classrooms provide space for that exploration. Music, dance, PE and computer lessons add different kinds of activity, while library story time brings children into another part of the school. These are concrete connections between nursery play and the wider school setting.
In November 2023, Ofsted found focused participation in purposeful activities led by adults, including work on recognising patterns and numbers; nursery painting also developed different brush strokes. However, the inspection identified weaker routines during independent activity, which meant some children did not learn as fully as intended, and asked leaders to strengthen this part of early years provision. For parents, the useful distinction is between the organised teaching and how children use time when adults are not directing the activity.
The nursery aims to help children make the move from home into nursery and then school, with staff support alongside learning and play. Meals are prepared by the school chef, giving food a place within the nursery provision itself.
Additional needs are addressed through the school’s SEND arrangements. Staff seek to identify difficulties early, plan extra support or adjustments and work with parents on assessments, targets and provision. Families receive regular updates about progress and barriers. Parents can also send information directly to the SENCO through SENCOadmin@clarendon.surrey.sch.uk. ParentMail carries school emails and texts, providing a channel for routine communication.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Surrey County Council admissions process and meet its deadline. Surrey County Council is the school’s admission authority, so choosing nursery and applying for school remain separate decisions.
The nursery’s aim of supporting the move into school belongs to children’s preparation, not their entitlement to a place. Keep that distinction clear when planning the next stage.
Three fixed attendance patterns run in term time. Session 1 combines Monday and Tuesday, 8:45am to 2:55pm, with Wednesday, 8:45am to 11:45am. Session 2 pairs Wednesday, noon to 3pm, with Thursday and Friday, 8:45am to 2:55pm. These are the 15-hour patterns.
Session 3 provides 30 hours for children aged 3 and 4: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday run from 8:45am to 2:55pm, and Wednesday from 8:45am to 3pm. It can be government-funded or paid for by parents. Other attendance patterns cannot be accommodated, so the timetable needs to fit the family’s week. Contact the school for current charges.
Breakfast club excludes nursery children. A Clarendon-logo book bag is required in Nursery, and clothing should carry the child’s name. For enquiries, call 01784 253379 or email clarendonschool@googlemail.com; nursery applications use the school’s Nursery Application Form.
The nursery caters for ages 2 to 5. Two-year-olds start no earlier than the term after turning 2, must qualify for government funding and can attend for a maximum of 15 hours until they turn 3. FEET-funded two-year-olds have priority.
No. There are two fixed 15-hour patterns and one 30-hour pattern, all during term time. Alternative patterns cannot be accommodated.
Activities include dance, music, PE, computer lessons and story time in the school library. Children also explore indoor and outdoor learning classrooms.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Surrey County Council’s normal admissions process, by its deadline.
The school works with parents on identifying needs, planning support and reviewing progress. Parents can email information directly to the SENCO at SENCOadmin@clarendon.surrey.sch.uk.
