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Nursery at Cowley Hill 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A farm set becomes a language lesson at Cowley Hill: adults introduce new vocabulary through play, then encourage children to try it themselves. That emphasis on conversation gives the early years its clearest character. Learning to express an idea matters alongside learning to share the resources used to explore it.
The nursery forms part of Cowley Hill School on Winstre Road in Borehamwood. In the inspection published on 13 January 2026, early years met the Expected standard. That judgement covers the school's early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Communication runs through the early years curriculum. During farm-set play, staff introduce vocabulary such as stable and prompt children to use it. Frequent adult conversation helps children put their thoughts into words. Children also discuss their play with one another, giving language a practical purpose beyond answering an adult's question.
Independence has a physical foundation. The early years classrooms are arranged to help children find and choose materials for their tasks. Selecting resources themselves gives them practice in making decisions about their learning. Bikes and scooters bring another kind of practice: children wait for a turn, applying familiar routines while sharing equipment.
Early learning also includes number knowledge, handwriting and the sounds associated with letters. Across the early years, children practise combining sounds to read straightforward words; many gain confidence as their reading develops. These are early years findings, rather than a claim that every nursery child is already reading.
Numbots is available to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It supports recognising small quantities immediately and practising mental addition and subtraction. Music adds another way to represent ideas: early years children use pictures as musical notation. Together, these examples show learning through conversation, practical choices, number practice and visual representations.
Sharing resources and talking together are part of the early years experience. Children learn the routines for taking turns with equipment, so social learning sits alongside their classroom tasks.
In January 2026, many parents and carers felt informed about their children's progress in the early years. This gives families a connection with what children are learning, alongside the growing independence children practise in class.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
Morning sessions and a 30-hour option are offered, with spaces being advertised as of October 2026. The nursery enquiry route is through the school office: call 020 8953 2218 or email admin@cowleyhill.herts.sch.uk.
School visits can also be arranged. A visit gives families a practical next step when considering the nursery and its place within the wider school.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee Reception admission, and families need to apply separately through the normal admissions process.
Morning sessions and a 30-hour option are offered. Spaces were being advertised as of October 2026.
Call the school office on 020 8953 2218 or email admin@cowleyhill.herts.sch.uk. School visits can also be arranged.
In the early years, adults introduce vocabulary during play, including farm-set activities, and encourage children to use it in conversation.
Early years met the Expected standard in the inspection published on 13 January 2026. This covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separate nursery inspection.
