Cotton End Forest School Nursery

Free-flow play gives Cherry, Cotton End Forest School’s nursery class, a different rhythm from classes with fixed playtime breaks. Children’s play is not divided by a designated morning or afternoon break. That is a useful starting point for understanding the nursery day.

The nursery caters for children from age two until school entry. Its 2024 admissions policy set out eight spaces for two-year-olds and 30 places per session for three-year-olds. These are nursery figures, rather than the capacity of the wider school. At the Ofsted inspection on 20 and 21 May 2025, early years provision received a Good judgement within the school’s inspection.

Cherry’s timetable centres on free-flow play, with a Nursery Lunch Club scheduled between noon and 12.30pm. For a child staying across lunchtime, that places a defined lunch period between the morning and afternoon sessions.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care before school age. In plain parent language, it covers learning to communicate, developing movement and social skills, and beginning to explore numbers, literacy, creativity and the world. These strands sit alongside requirements for children’s welfare and safety.

During the May 2025 inspection, even the youngest early years children were engrossed in activities. Adults’ understanding of each child informed the tasks they chose: interests shaped the activity, with planned learning guiding its purpose. The practical strength is the connection between what attracts a child’s attention and what adults want them to learn.

Early writing. The same inspection identified insufficiently clear and ambitious expectations across the school’s early writing curriculum, affecting basic skills such as forming letters and writing legibly. Families should weigh that concern alongside the positive early years findings; it was a school improvement action, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

Early years children were comfortable, self-assured and receiving attentive care in May 2025. Staff’s knowledge of individual needs supported the choice of learning tasks, linking care with participation in the day’s activities.

For children needing additional support, the school’s SENCo works with families, teachers, support staff and senior leaders on identifying needs early. Termly meetings review progress and inform targeted interventions. This gives parents a team structure through which to discuss concerns, rather than leaving support solely with one classroom adult. SEND enquiries can be sent to senco@cottonendforestschool.co.uk.

Physical access also matters. The school’s inclusion policy describes a single-level building with accessible toilet facilities. It also provides for staff with first-aid qualifications to give prescribed medication when parents consent.

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. Treat choosing nursery care and applying for school entry as two distinct decisions.

The 2024 nursery policy offered a five-day pattern: mornings from 9am to noon or afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Both age groups had these session options. For three-year-olds, it also offered five full days, combining either 15 or 30 funded hours with payment for the remaining hours. Ask the school for current charges.

Under that policy, three-year-olds entered in September after their third birthday. Two-year-olds could be considered from the term after their second birthday, subject to space. Nursery enquiries can begin by calling 01234 740100.