Westdene Primary School Nursery Review

A purpose-built outdoor area and play-led learning give Westdene’s nursery its own character within the primary school. Children take part in school events, but their classroom and outdoor provision are designed around early learning: games, exploration and opportunities to move. This is a school nursery with a place in the wider school community.

Staffing comprises a qualified teacher alongside two nursery nurses with experience. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 1 and 2 October 2024. That judgement covers the early years phase, rather than providing a separate nursery rating.

Planned play shapes the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. For parents, that means learning extends beyond early letters and numbers to conversation, movement and managing feelings.

Listening has a specific nursery focus. Children investigate sounds around them and compare what they hear through practical activities. These are opportunities to practise noticing differences and listening closely. The Foundation Stage curriculum also emphasises stories, role play and conversations in which adults extend children’s vocabulary, giving them ways to explain their ideas.

Mathematics connects with familiar stories. In October 2024, children in the early years explored three through The Three Bears, making a number meaningful through a tale they knew. The learning environment encouraged exploration and helped children revisit knowledge through activity.

Outside, the nursery classroom has its own purpose-built area for active play. Movement and physical exploration belong alongside indoor learning. The Foundation Stage approach includes puzzles, craft and small tools to develop control, while outdoor play supports balance and coordination: different kinds of activity serve different developing skills.

Parents are encouraged to participate in nursery life and work alongside staff in their child’s education. Practical care includes a clear lunch arrangement: children attending for a whole day, or for the afternoon session, bring a packed lunch. Families therefore prepare lunch themselves for either attendance pattern.

Support for additional needs draws on the school’s SEND arrangements. Needs are assessed with parents and teachers, and an Individual Education Plan records interventions and is shared regularly with families. Where specialist advice is needed, the school can involve the NHS Speech and Language Service or the Local Authority’s Inclusion Support Service, with referrals discussed with parents. This gives families a role in planning support.

Extended hours start with a trial period for nursery children, allowing staff and families to assess how they manage the longer day. It is a useful distinction between choosing additional childcare and settling into that pattern.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for school are separate decisions.

Participation in whole-school events gives nursery children contact with the wider school community. That familiarity is part of their nursery experience; it does not secure admission to Reception.

Three attendance patterns structure the week. Option 1 combines Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 3pm, with Wednesday, 9am to noon. Option 2 starts with Wednesday, noon to 3pm, followed by Thursday and Friday, 9am to 3pm. Option 3 runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.

The nursery offers fifteen or thirty hours each week, plus privately funded sessions; the thirty-hour provision is subject to government eligibility requirements. Additional Time enquiries go through the school office on 01273 916618.

Breakfast Club starts at 8am, and After School Club finishes at 6pm. Registration uses the clubs’ Terms & Conditions document, with the initial trial period applying to nursery children. Nursery pupils are exempt from the school uniform requirement, so families can plan everyday clothing rather than school uniform.