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Nursery at Meryfield 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Songs, stories and sensory walks give Meryfield’s nursery a start built around getting to know each child. Yellow Nursery and Purple Nursery form the school’s nursery provision in Borehamwood, with children joining from the term after their third birthday. The nursery sits on the school site, so exploring the wider grounds forms part of becoming familiar with their surroundings.
The opening autumn topic, All About Me, puts children’s interests and relationships first. Group learning builds gradually alongside time for children to choose their own activities. That gives the beginning of nursery a clear focus: getting comfortable with people and places while learning through play.
The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, covers seven learning areas. Here, that means language and communication, relationships and emotions, physical development, early reading and writing, maths, creativity and understanding the world. It gives parents a useful way to understand the day: learning includes talking, moving and making friends as well as working with words and numbers.
All About Me brings together shared stories, singing and group activities. Changes in the Seasons is the next autumn topic. Children also explore inside the school and take walks through its grounds, using their senses to investigate their surroundings. These are concrete opportunities to connect conversation with things children can see and notice.
In May 2022, Ofsted found that early-years children joined enthusiastically with story actions and repeated passages, and chose reading and writing during play. Adults also turned an unexpected sight, a crow bathing in a hailstorm, into a conversation with children. The detail matters: their curiosity became something to discuss, rather than simply something to watch.
Settling begins with relationships and familiarity. Adults spend time interacting with children during activities they have chosen, while whole-class sessions increase gradually. Exploring the school indoors and outside is part of this introduction. In May 2022, early-years children were happy and settled.
An EYFS Curriculum and Assessment Lead works alongside an EYFS Inclusion Lead whose remit includes special educational needs and medical matters. This gives early-years learning and inclusion distinct leadership responsibilities. The school also adapts its curriculum for pupils with SEND.
School lunch arrangements include food cooked on site each day, a vegetarian choice and fruit, vegetables and salad. SwiftKitchen provides online and app ordering. Families can also supply a packed lunch, and the school requires these to avoid nuts, glass containers and fizzy drinks.
Reception requires a fresh application. Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor confers an oversubscription priority for the 2026–2027 admission year. Families must apply separately through Hertfordshire County Council’s Common Application Form. Choosing the nursery therefore needs to stand on the nursery experience itself.
For September 2026 entry, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is past. Children with an EHCP follow a separate statutory admission process through their local authority, rather than the ordinary application procedure.
The morning nursery session ends at 11:45am. Children staying for the 30-hour provision finish at 3:00pm. Those different collection points matter when arranging the family’s day; the longer nursery provision finishes before the wider school day ends.
For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 020 8953 2106 or email admin@meryfield.agoralp.co.uk. Office hours run from 8.00am to 3.30pm. Use the telephone for urgent communication: email is intended for matters that can wait, with a 48-hour response time expected.
Children can join from the term after they turn three.
Activities include singing, shared stories, group learning, child-chosen play and sensory walks around the school grounds. Autumn topics include All About Me and Changes in the Seasons.
The morning session finishes at 11:45am. The 30-hour nursery provision finishes at 3:00pm.
No. For the 2026–2027 admission year, nursery attendance does not confer priority or guarantee a place. A separate Reception application is required through Hertfordshire County Council, with a separate statutory process for children with an EHCP.
Contact the school office on 020 8953 2106 or at admin@meryfield.agoralp.co.uk. Office hours are 8.00am to 3.30pm; telephone for urgent matters.
