Saffron Green Primary School Nursery Review

Fruit portraits, melting snow and penguin paintings give Saffron Green’s nursery its character: play connects stories, sounds and children’s own experiences. This is nursery provision on the primary school site in Borehamwood, forming an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) unit with Reception. Children can join from the day after their third birthday.

In February 2025, Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers the EYFS unit, rather than a separately inspected nursery. The useful nursery detail is the combination of familiar routines, play and adult guidance, with morning or full-day attendance available.

Play supplies the starting point, while staff plan activities around children’s development and interests. The EYFS curriculum follows the Early Years Framework with Development Matters supporting assessment and planning. In parent terms, adults establish what a child can already do, then use guided activities and children’s chosen play to plan the next steps. Children select resources themselves, giving them practice in making decisions.

The autumn 2025 topic, All about me, brought family conversations together with The Gruffalo. Children made edible portraits from fruit and wraps, then tasted their creations. During spring 2026, Our Community, Travel and Winter included investigating snow as it melted. These are concrete ways to connect conversation, creativity and observation.

Little Wandle is the nursery’s phonics scheme, introducing one new sound each week. In spring 2026, work on the letter P included painting penguins and discussing their habitats. Maths involved numbers up to five and subitising, practised through games and activities.

Daily stories and rhymes were established across early years in February 2025. For children staying for wraparound care, outdoor play equipment, a role play area and a quiet space provide options for active play or a slower pace after the nursery session.

Before children start, staff meet families to learn about their interests, development and home experiences. A settling period comes before more formal recording of starting points. That sequence gives adults time to get to know the child before concentrating on assessment.

A nursery teacher and EYFS teaching assistants form part of the staffing structure. Children practise dressing and personal care with adult help when needed. In February 2025, children joining Nursery were learning behaviour expectations promptly through established routines, helping them understand how their day works.

Tapestry carries observations of learning between nursery and home. Parents can contribute photographs and videos, so the exchange includes what children do beyond the classroom. For additional needs, the school uses Assess, Plan, Do, Review, with plans evaluated alongside families and referrals to external professionals where needed.

Fresh fruit snacks and milk are free. Lunch can be a packed meal or a charged school meal, unless the child qualifies for free school meals. Packed lunches must exclude nuts and nut products, and children need a named water bottle. Wraparound sessions include breakfast in the morning and a snack or light meal later.

Reception requires another application. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through Hertfordshire County Council’s normal primary admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s intake. Choosing nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Practical preparation is a different matter. Subject to availability, children enrolled in the 15-hour provision can take a paid lunch session, including to practise lunchtime routines before Reception. This supports familiarity with a longer day; it does not secure admission.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, Monday to Friday; full days run from 9am to 3pm on the same days. Funded provision operates during term time for 38 weeks. The 15-hour pattern can be five mornings or two and a half days, subject to availability. Working parents may qualify for 30 funded hours, taken as five full days, beginning from the term after the child’s third birthday.

Saffron Green Wraparound is staffed by the school’s team and operates on weekdays in term time. Breakfast care runs from 7:45am to 8:45am, with after-school care from 3:15pm to 6pm. Its sessions require advance booking and payment through Arbor. Nursery sessions must also be booked and paid for in advance through Arbor or the school office; charged extras include additional sessions and some activities. Contact the office for current charges and enquiries at admin@saffrongreen.herts.sch.uk or 0208 953 3801.

Uniform is optional in Nursery. Collection arrangements matter: tell the office in writing when someone different will collect your child.