New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

A purpose-built nursery and a day shaped around play give New Bolsover’s youngest children their own starting point within the school. The provision has 52 places on site, organised as 26 morning and 26 afternoon places, or the equivalent where children attend through 30-hour funding. Children can begin in the term they turn three.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 14 and 15 May 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Language gets deliberate attention here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through play, with planning that brings together movement, communication, relationships, early literacy, maths and creative work. Extending vocabulary is an explicit focus, giving children more words to explain their ideas and needs.

Little Wandle Foundations for phonics supplies a concrete picture of early reading preparation: children share poems and stories, learn action rhymes and practise listening, including blending spoken sounds. Experiences led by adults sit alongside those children choose themselves. The emphasis is on the foundations of reading, with listening and spoken language built into the activities.

Maths also begins through exploration. Children use equipment and pictures to develop and show their understanding; Purple Mash is among the resources used from Nursery onwards. Technological toys and software suited to young children provide another way to explore problems through play. Physical development runs through early years learning, with basic movement skills as its focus.

Personal and social learning includes the named EYFS topics My feelings, My family and friends, and Taking on challenges. These connect learning with recognising emotions, relationships and managing everyday demands. In May 2024, the nursery’s indoor and outdoor learning spaces supported development across the curriculum.

Curriculum development. In May 2024, the revised early years curriculum and progress tracking were still being introduced; further work was required on sequencing learning and using assessment systematically. For parents, the practical issue is how activities build on what their child already understands.

Before a child starts, families may be invited to visit where possible, meet staff and help their child become familiar with the nursery. This gives settling a concrete first step. Once children attend, weekly nursery reading sessions bring parents and children together; the child’s teacher provides the session time.

ParentHub is the school’s communication channel, with families selecting the relevant year groups through @NBPSchool. For additional needs, parents can arrange an appointment with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) through the school office. This provides a direct route for discussing a child’s support.

Lunch involves a choice between a school meal and a healthy packed lunch brought from home. School meals are charged unless the child qualifies for Free School Meals; families should contact the school for current charges. Lunchtime supervision carries no additional charge for children staying through 30-hour funding. Parents provide their own child’s nappies if needed.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and is not listed as a priority in the school’s admission criteria. Families must make a separate application. Familiarity with the nursery should therefore be kept separate from expectations about allocation.

The application route is Derbyshire County Council, online at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/admissions or by application form sent to its Admissions Team at County Hall, Matlock. The school’s admissions guidance gives the deadline as the second week in January. Derbyshire County Council allocates places and tells families the outcome.

Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons run from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Each pattern provides 15 hours a week. The full-day option runs from 8:45am to 3:30pm for children accessing the 30-hour entitlement, subject to providing an eligibility code.

Full-day availability. The admissions guidance lists eight places for families accessing 30-hour funding. Eligibility therefore needs to be considered alongside capacity when planning childcare.

Families can complete the nursery waiting-list application through the admissions page. Starts take place in September, January and Easter when vacancies arise, with children admitted in age order. For enquiries, contact the school office on 01246 823240 or info@newbolsover.derbyshire.sch.uk.