Birch Hill Primary School and Nursery: Nursery Review

A nursery building of its own gives Birch Hill’s youngest provision a distinct place within the wider primary school. This is the school’s nursery, serving families in the Birch Hill and Hanworth districts of Bracknell Forest. The school’s motto, Learn • Believe • Achieve Together, expresses its aim to combine learning with children’s confidence in what they can achieve.

For families, the practical starting point is a choice between morning and afternoon sessions. These create a shorter attendance pattern than a full school day, with separate arrangements for children eligible for extended nursery funding.

Making and expressing ideas feature in the early years curriculum. Children encounter artists and experiment with materials to communicate their imagination and experiences. Cutting and joining are also introduced in the Early Years, giving children practical ways to turn an idea into something they have made.

Building Learning Power (BLP) is taught throughout the school. The school aims to help children understand their own learning, persevere through difficulty and treat mistakes as opportunities to try again. Teachers explain the learning habits being practised and give children time to tackle a challenge before intervening. The emphasis is on the process as well as the outcome.

The wider school grounds include Badgers Retreat, a wooded area with a Summer House and Edible Playground. These sit alongside the nursery building as part of the school’s physical setting. Early Years performance opportunities include a Christmas Nativity and Harvest Assembly, adding shared occasions to the classroom learning.

Support starts with information from families. Nursery applications ask about special educational needs, Education Health Care Plans, allergies and medical conditions. Families can supply supporting information about a disability so that it can be considered both when allocating a place and when arranging support within the nursery.

The school’s SEND provision covers communication and language, learning difficulties, emotional and social needs, and sensory or physical needs. Planning is adapted to individual needs, with visual aids and learning equipment among the classroom supports. A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator can be contacted through the school office, giving parents a route for discussing their child’s needs before starting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. A separate application is required: Bracknell Forest residents apply to Bracknell Forest Borough Council, while families living elsewhere apply through their home local authority.

The nursery application declaration, dated January 2019, also states that a nursery offer gives no priority for a school place. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions; completing the nursery application does not complete the school application.

The January 2019 nursery arrangements give morning sessions as 9.00am to noon and afternoon sessions as noon to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday. Families indicate their preferred sessions when applying and return the nursery application to the school.

Those arrangements describe 15 funded hours across 38 weeks, starting in the term after a child’s third birthday, and limited spaces for families eligible for 30-hour nursery funding. Additional hours beyond the free entitlement carry a charge. Ask the school for current charges.

For enquiries and parent tours, contact the school office on 01344 455815 or bhpsecretary@maidenerleghtrust.org. A visit can also be arranged by appointment before a child starts.