Little Wrens Nursery at Mill View Primary School

Forest School, a kitchen garden and an outdoor classroom give Little Wrens a nursery day that reaches beyond its own room. Children also use the school hall, field and trim trail, and join school activities when these suit their stage of development. They belong to the wider school from the start.

Little Wrens opened in April 2022 and accepts children from the term following their third birthday, with full-time and part-time attendance. It is Mill View Primary School’s nursery class in Upton, Chester. Ofsted rated the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 8 and 9 May 2024; that judgement covers early years within the school.

Play combines children’s own choices with activities led by adults. Little Wrens follows the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework (2021), with an emphasis on exploring interests, relationships and ideas. In parent terms, children have room to pursue something that catches their attention, while adults introduce experiences that extend their learning.

Similar, Identical and Different are three concepts woven through the provision. These give children a starting point for comparing and understanding what they encounter. The nursery also organises opportunities around interests it identifies as Fear, Fantasy, Friendship and Fairness. Its Third Teacher approach treats the indoor and outdoor environment as an active part of learning, arranged to prompt curiosity and challenge.

Early literacy is practical. Listening games and rhymes introduce sounds, while puzzles and crafts provide encounters with letters. Children experiment with paintbrushes and crayons as they begin making marks. Drawing Club starts with stories, picture books or animations, brings the class together briefly, then gives children time to develop ideas through play and work with adults. This connects language with imagination and early writing.

Outdoor learning has physical substance: the Forest School includes a pond, mud hill and shelter. Little Wrens uses both the forest and kitchen garden, alongside its other school spaces. In May 2024, nursery children enjoyed participating in stories and songs and kept trying during learning and play. That persistence matters as much as the finished activity.

Relationships are an explicit nursery priority. Little Wrens aims to build connections between children and adults, recognise individual interests and keep families involved in their child’s learning. Conscious Discipline is the school’s approach to behaviour: it aims to teach children language and skills for handling emotions and conflict. The emphasis is on learning how to respond.

For additional needs, the school has a Special Educational Needs Coordinator and an Inclusion Team. Parents can arrange a meeting through the office to discuss concerns, giving families a direct route into support. At lunchtime, children can bring food from home or have a purchased school meal. That choice allows families to select the arrangement that suits their child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet its deadline. Cheshire West and Chester Council is the contact for Reception admissions.

Familiarity with school life is a separate benefit from admission. Little Wrens children use shared school facilities and participate in suitable school activities, so the wider setting is already part of their experience. This should never be treated as securing their next place.

For funded attendance, the full day runs from 8:45am to 2:45pm; an extended day finishes at 3:15pm. Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am, and afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. The extended funded day carries an additional charge.

Places can be fully funded, partly funded or self-funded. From the term following a child’s third birthday, funding provides 15 or 30 hours a week according to family circumstances. Meals, snacks and wraparound care are charged extras; ask the school for current charges.

Miller Club extends childcare from 7:30am, with collection options ending at 4:45pm or 6pm Monday to Thursday, and 4:45pm on Friday. Reserve sessions online at least 24 hours beforehand and pay when booking. This gives working families an option beyond the nursery session.

For nursery enquiries about other start dates, return an Expression of Interest Form to the school office. The office can also be reached on 01244 381443.