Walton Holymoorside Primary School Nursery

A purpose-built nursery adjoining the main school building gives Walton Holymoorside’s youngest children a distinct base within a primary school. Provision starts from age three, at Holymoor Road in Holymoorside, Chesterfield. This is the school’s own nursery, with morning and afternoon sessions.

Early years provision was graded Good by Ofsted following the inspection on 7 and 8 November 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision. For parents choosing the nursery, it gives a dated assessment of this stage of education rather than relying on the school’s overall grade.

The day has two clear session boundaries: morning collection is at 11.30am, while afternoon collection is at 3.15pm. Lunch Club sits between them. These separate points matter when fitting nursery attendance around family routines.

Learning begins with a planned curriculum. In November 2023, the curriculum identified what children should learn from nursery onwards, and adults in the early years encouraged children’s enjoyment of reading. For a young child, that means books have a place in learning from the beginning. Little Wandle is the school’s named phonics and reading scheme; it provides the wider school context for early reading.

Outdoor learning has a concrete setting too. The school has an on-site Forest School and a woodland area, alongside a pond, nature reserve and playing fields in the wider grounds. The school promises children regular woodland sessions during their time there. Its Forest School programme includes exploration and games, with opportunities for building dens and cooking outdoors under a qualified Forest School Leader. These are school-wide opportunities, so the distinction between the nursery’s day and the wider school programme matters.

Communication extends beyond conversations with staff: the school sends a weekly newsletter through its parent app. That gives families a regular channel for school updates. The school office also provides the route to the SENDCo, allowing parents to raise questions about additional needs with the relevant role.

Safeguarding procedures include DBS checks for staff, training before they begin work and annual refresher training. Staff record welfare concerns through CPOMS and alert a designated safeguarding lead that day. This gives concerns a defined recording and escalation process.

Lunch Club is part of the nursery timetable. It creates a midday attendance point between the two sessions.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. The school follows Derbyshire’s admissions policy and guidelines, with the local authority handling admissions enquiries. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Morning drop-off runs from 8.30am to 8.40am; afternoon drop-off is from 12.15pm to 12.25pm. Collection follows the session endings above, making the different handover windows worth building into daily plans.

For enquiries, contact the school office on 01246 566502 or email WHPAdmin@learnerstrust.org. A visit can be booked. The nursery is at Holymoor Road, Holymoorside, Chesterfield, S42 7DU.