Merry Hill Infant School and Nursery: Nursery Review

Letter sounds explored through toys, books threaded through play and woodland exploration give Merry Hill’s nursery its character. The 60-place nursery belongs to a mainstream community infant school in Bushey. It is part of the school’s early years provision, with a nursery teacher and learning support assistants on the team.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 5 and 6 December 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school rather than a separately inspected nursery. Adults extended children’s language and developed their activities, helping them explain their ideas while playing together.

Play has a teaching purpose here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is organised around planned play, with literacy and maths following the Foundation Stage curriculum. For parents, that means play is a way of learning rather than simply a break between lessons. The term themes move from A Happy Face in autumn to A Learning Place in spring and A Growing Space in summer.

Language gets sustained attention. Nursery children explore letter sounds with toys, building foundations for joining sounds together in later reading. Talk for Writing uses spoken activities to develop writing, while Mastering Number plans guide early years maths. These approaches give conversation and number learning a clear place alongside play.

Books are placed throughout the early years classrooms, and adults use them to suggest directions for children’s play. Daily reading aloud adds another encounter with stories. Children also have access to the school library, whose mural gives the space a visual focus. Reading reaches beyond the book corner.

Outdoor learning includes weekly mini explorer sessions in the woodland area, an arrangement for children across the school. This gives exploration a regular place in learning. In December 2023, early years activities were purposeful and carefully planned, with adults using their knowledge to take children’s learning further.

Zones of Regulation is used throughout the school to teach children about emotions and ways to manage them. Each classroom has a mindfulness area that children are taught to use. Emotional regulation therefore has both a shared approach and a physical space for practice.

Weekly nursery blogs celebrate learning and offer ideas for continuing it at home. They give families a practical connection between classroom experiences and home activities.

In December 2023, systems for recognising needs in early years were working well. A wider school concern concerned a small number of pupils with SEND: adaptations and supporting targets needed greater precision. Families considering support should distinguish early identification from the specific adjustments their child needs. The school also needed more consistent curriculum implementation in a couple of subjects; this was a school-level finding.

Attending Merry Hill’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate: families must apply again through the normal Reception application route and meet its deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two decisions.

The school office handles enquiries by telephone on 0208 950 2166 or email at admin@merryhill.herts.sch.uk. The address is School Lane, Bushey, WD23 1ST.

Parking. Parents and visitors cannot park on site, and surrounding roads are often congested. Allow time to park farther away and complete the journey on foot.