Farnham Academy Nursery Review

Three-hour sessions, flexible attendance patterns and learning through play give Farnham’s nursery its practical shape. This is the nursery at Farnham Primary School on Stratford Road in Bradford, the school identified here as Farnham Academy. The nursery admission number is 80; families with children aged three or approaching their third birthday can contact the school about a place.

Early years provision received a Good judgement at Ofsted’s inspection on 1 and 2 November 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Language and play work together here. Early years activities combine experiences chosen by children with those directed by adults. Stories, poems and action rhymes sit alongside listening activities and oral blending, which involves hearing spoken sounds and joining them into words. These give children ways to practise speaking and listening before tackling reading.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) approach also includes understanding the world through family beliefs, community celebrations and stories. Children consider how people celebrate differently and discuss characters from religious and contemporary stories. Familiar experiences provide a starting point for talking about other people’s lives.

In November 2023, adults supported children’s language development and helped them explore ideas through play. The outdoor area supplied a concrete example: children were making a construction, with an adult helping them choose a shape that would improve its strength. Building became a problem to solve. The learning involved both handling materials and discussing what might work.

For concerns about additional needs, the first contact is the child’s class teacher, with appointments through the office to speak to the special educational needs coordinator. Farnham uses Bradford’s Graduated Approach and the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle: identify the need, plan support, put it into practice and review it. This gives families a sequence for discussing support rather than treating an initial plan as the final answer. The school is wheelchair accessible.

Safeguarding training. In November 2023, school-wide safeguarding arrangements were effective, but some training was too general to help staff apply it to their particular responsibilities and school circumstances. The required improvement was for staff to have regular opportunities to work through that application. For families, the relevant issue is how training translates into recognising and managing concerns.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery applications are handled by the school, while Reception requires a separate online application through Bradford Council. Families must apply again through that normal route by the normal deadline. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Morning nursery runs from 8.40am to 11.40am; the afternoon session runs from 12.10pm to 3.10pm. Each lasts three hours. Flexible patterns include Monday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Friday, and extended hours are offered up to 30 hours. These options let families consider a shorter session or a different spread of attendance across the week.

Nursery enquiries go directly to the school. Contact the office on 01274 573297 or email office@fps.paymat.org to discuss a place.