New Road Primary School Nursery Review

Coats, cups and conversation give New Road’s nursery preparation a practical character. The nursery aims to develop children’s knowledge and skills from their individual starting points, recognising that children bring different experiences with them. Independence matters alongside learning: families are encouraged to practise dressing, drinking and communicating needs before nursery begins.

Caterpillar Class is the nursery provision within New Road Primary School, on Bryant Street in Chatham. Children are admitted at three years old. This is a school nursery, with preparation for joining centred on everyday skills that children can practise at home.

In April 2023, Ofsted found that early-years children developed secure beginnings in counting and number, giving them foundations for later mathematics. Early-years children also began learning to read successfully. These findings concern the early years within the school; they are not a separate nursery rating.

Talking, drawing and books feature in the nursery’s advice for families. Adults are encouraged to respond to children’s speech and help them express needs through phrases and sentences. Drawing and colouring are recommended to develop the small hand movements needed for writing. The emphasis gives parents concrete ways to support learning before their child joins.

Shared stories and familiar songs are another part of that preparation. Families are encouraged to read together daily or tell stories, and to practise rhymes including Baa Baa Black Sheep and Wind Your Bobbin Up. These are activities to try at home, rather than a timetable of nursery sessions.

Preparation for settling includes practising the routines children will use at nursery. For toileting, the guidance covers wiping, flushing and handwashing. Dressing practice includes managing trousers or tights and removing a jumper, connecting independence with personal care.

A coat becomes a useful practice task too. Families are encouraged to help children put it on themselves and learn to engage the bottom of the zip before pulling it upwards. Drinking confidently from both a cup and a water bottle is also encouraged. The nursery presents these as skills to practise, rather than a promise that every child will arrive with them mastered.

For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school aims to provide personalised help when needed, including strategies and interventions. Families can contact the SEND team at sendco@newroad.medway.sch.uk. This provides a direct route for discussing a child’s learning and development needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year.

For September 2026 entry, the application route was through Medway Council, with applications closing at 5pm on Thursday 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past. Families planning a later start should use the admissions timetable for the relevant year, keeping the Reception application separate from their nursery arrangements.

Nursery applications use a Nursery Application Form. For general enquiries, contact New Road Primary School on 01634 843084.

Velcro footwear is recommended to help children manage their own shoes; lace-up shoes are discouraged. Practising taking shoes off and putting them back on is part of the nursery’s preparation advice, giving families a useful task to work on before starting.