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Nursery at Westfield 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, conversation and music shape the nursery curriculum at Westfield Primary School in Berkhamsted. Learning combines activities guided by adults with exploration children choose themselves, using both indoor and outdoor provision. For parents, that means a curriculum with room for children’s interests alongside planned teaching.
The inspection context needs care. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 30 and 31 January 2024, but there were no nursery children on roll then. That judgement therefore should not be read as an assessment of today’s nursery experience.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework for nursery learning. Here, its priorities include language and communication, the beginnings of reading and phonics, and children’s emotional and social development. Adult teaching sits alongside independent exploration rather than taking up the whole learning experience. Indoor and outdoor learning both form part of that balance.
Maths begins with play and everyday experiences. Children explore counting, compare quantities, investigate patterns and develop ideas about shape, space and measurement. They also begin to understand how numbers are made up. The practical emphasis connects mathematical ideas to experiences young children can understand, rather than treating maths solely as a formal lesson.
Music has a named approach: Sing Up! Children listen to songs and rhymes, add movements and actions, sing together and experiment with making music. Moving in time and dancing give them ways to participate physically as well as through their voices. Opportunities children choose themselves sit alongside the music units, leaving space for their own musical expression.
Early history learning starts close to home. Children reflect on experiences in their own lives and compare characters in stories, including historical figures. This introduces the idea of a personal past through experiences and stories, rather than beginning with distant dates.
Support for additional needs has a school-level point of contact: the deputy headteacher also holds the SEND coordinator role and works with staff on provision suited to children’s strengths and difficulties. Parents with concerns about progress or possible special educational needs are directed to their child’s class teacher. This gives families a clear starting point for a conversation about support.
Westfield says its approach includes reasonable adjustments and support matched to individual needs. Its nursery curriculum also gives explicit attention to emotional and social development, placing relationships and communication alongside early learning.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for a school place are separate decisions; parents should plan for both.
The nursery is part of Westfield Primary School on Durrants Lane, Berkhamsted, HP4 3PJ. The school office can be contacted on 01442 862 729 or at admin@westfieldprimary.herts.sch.uk for nursery enquiries.
The nursery follows the EYFS, combining adult teaching with exploration chosen by children and learning indoors and outdoors.
Through play and everyday experiences, including counting, comparison, patterns, shape, space and measurement.
Yes. Sing Up! supports early years music, including songs, rhymes, movement, dance and music making.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal admissions process.
Start with the child’s class teacher. The school’s deputy headteacher also serves as SEND coordinator.
