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Nursery at Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A blue house, a garden allotment and time for uninterrupted play give this nursery its character. The nursery at Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School occupies its own building within the school grounds, with provision for children aged 3 to 4 and 30 places in each morning and afternoon session. That gives families a choice between shorter sessions and full days.
Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 11 and 12 October 2023. This judgement covers early years across the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Play has room to develop here. A Froebelian influence shapes the approach: children explore materials and ideas, with uninterrupted time to pursue their interests. Planning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), covering language, early literacy and maths, physical development, relationships, understanding the world and creative expression. Activities respond to children's developmental needs and interests, building on learning begun at home.
Inside, natural wood and other natural materials feature in the resources. Children can build with blocks, make art, cook, invent role-play scenarios or choose quieter activities. Relaxing music accompanies candle time. The nursery aims for an unhurried atmosphere, and its rolling snack arrangement lets children eat without bringing everyone's play to a simultaneous stop.
Outdoors, the garden combines an allotment and mud kitchen with a large sandpit, water play and loose materials for physical activity. These give children different ways to investigate, move and create. Cookery and Forest school add planned practical experiences. Wednesday's separately charged Enrichment Session includes activities influenced by Froebelian occupations, such as weaving, gardening, woodwork and clay, alongside PE, community outings and eating in the school dinner hall.
An early years teacher leads the nursery, supported by at least one practitioner qualified at level 3 and another qualified early years staff member. The school's SEND arrangements include individual and small-group activities, collaboration with Speech and Language Therapy Services and Educational Psychologists, and Essex One Planning. Child-centred reviews and individual provision mapping give families a structure for discussing support.
Mini-Springers, the separate wraparound provision in the nursery building, has a key person qualified to at least Level 3 with EYFS experience. Families are invited to share information that could help their child settle into the club. Breakfast is served until 8.15am, while after-school care includes a snack and drink. These arrangements belong to wraparound care.
Inspection concerns. In October 2023, uneven practice across the early years classes restricted some children's learning progress. School-wide safeguarding arrangements were effective, but records sometimes lacked detail about follow-up and decisions, making the effects of action harder to check. Families should keep these findings in view alongside the early years grade.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through the local authority, using the Essex primary admissions process. Treat that application as a separate decision from booking nursery sessions.
For children who obtain a Reception place and use Mini-Springers, the nursery building remains a familiar base before and after school. Continued contact with nursery staff and younger children provides continuity. This is a care arrangement, not an admissions advantage.
Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoons run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. A full day lasts from 8.45am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. Families fitting nursery around siblings may drop off until 9.00am and collect before 3pm or at 3.30pm.
All children aged 3 to 4 can take 15 funded hours, with some eligible for 30. Funded sessions cover Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday all day, plus Wednesday morning. Wednesday enrichment is non-funded. Additional hours depend on availability and carry a charge; splitting 30 hours with another provider requires at least two days here.
Mini-Springers provides term-time weekday care before and after school, charged separately from funded hours. Breakfast club starts at 7.30am; afternoon care ends at 6pm Monday to Thursday and 5.30pm Friday. Contact the school for current charges. To enquire about nursery, complete the Enquiry Form or email nursery@newlandsspring.essex.sch.uk.
The nursery class takes children aged 3 to 4, with places starting from the term after their third birthday.
The garden has a mud kitchen, allotment, large sandpit, water play and loose materials for physical play.
Yes. Full-day sessions run from 8.45am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.
No. Wednesday enrichment is non-funded, and Mini-Springers wraparound care is charged separately from the 15 or 30 funded hours.
No. Parents must apply separately through the local authority's Essex primary admissions process.
