Greensted Primary School & Nursery: Nursery Review

Explaining number sequences and building confidence give Greensted’s early years provision its character. In October 2024, children were confident, happy and learning successfully. Ofsted graded early years Outstanding at the inspection on 22 and 23 October 2024; that judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The nursery belongs to Greensted Primary School & Nursery on Kirby Road in Basildon. Its staffing includes a nursery teacher, a nursery nurse and nursery learning support assistants, placing teaching and additional support within the nursery team.

Understanding matters here. In October 2024, early years children explained their learning through an example of putting numbers between 0 and 5 in sequence, both backwards and forwards. This gives parents a concrete picture of early mathematical learning: children could describe what they understood, as well as demonstrate it.

Staff adapted teaching to children’s understanding, using checks to decide what they needed next. For families, the useful distinction is that teaching responded to the child’s learning, rather than simply moving through activities.

Art and design technology also extend into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). These subjects sit within termly topics, with skills planned across the school’s phases. The school aims for children to experiment creatively and value making something as much as the finished result.

Curriculum precision. In October 2024, some subjects needed clearer definitions of the knowledge children should retain, with the improvement action explicitly including early years. A separate concern about assessment matching taught content applied across some school subjects. These qualifications sit alongside the positive findings about personalised early years teaching.

Additional needs have a place in the nursery’s staffing structure. The nursery nurse and nursery learning support assistants have special educational needs support responsibilities. That gives families concrete roles to understand when discussing how their child will take part in learning.

Across Greensted, learning support assistants deliver interventions for learning and emotional or social needs. The SENCo monitors these and adjusts them when necessary. The school aims to help children participate alongside their peers through reasonable adjustments and materials suited to their abilities and interests.

For children learning English as an additional language, Greensted encourages continued use of their home language alongside English and recognition of their cultural traditions. This approach gives families a way to maintain linguistic and cultural connections while children learn English.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, coordinated by the local authority through Essex Schools Admissions.

Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions. An individual visit can help families understand Greensted, but booking that visit or attending nursery does not replace the Reception application.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 01268 552535 or admin@greensted.essex.sch.uk. The address is Kirby Road, Basildon, Essex, SS14 1RX.

Individual school visits can be arranged by emailing admissions@greensted.essex.sch.uk. This provides a direct booking route for families who want to see the setting before deciding whether to apply.