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Nursery at Walton Peak Flying High Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud, real herbs and rhyming songs give Walton Peak’s nursery its character: practical play alongside an emphasis on language. Little Explorers is the name of its Foundation Stage 1 provision, within the school’s early years setting on Whitecotes Lane in Walton, Chesterfield.
The nursery opened in September 2022. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 5 and 6 March 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.
Learning combines activities guided by adults with play that children choose themselves. Plans take account of each child’s interests, needs and developmental stage, giving individual curiosity a place alongside teaching. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, movement and social development with early literacy, maths, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, this means learning extends beyond practising letters and numbers.
Little Explorers has a Home Corner for imaginative play, alongside small world activities and creative work. Across the early years unit, spaces for construction, reading, crafting, maths and making marks give children different ways to explore. These spaces change with children’s interests and the enquiry being studied. Outdoors, the mud pie kitchen uses actual herbs as well as mud, adding real materials to pretend cooking.
In March 2024, nursery children regularly joined in songs and played with rhymes. Early years children enjoyed playing with one another outdoors, with resources supporting opportunities to write, work with numbers and develop movement skills. Staff planned subsequent learning using what they knew about each child’s progress. The emphasis was on building skills through activity and play.
Fruit is provided at snack time. It is a simple part of the day that sits alongside the nursery’s play and learning.
The school aims to remove obstacles to participation through its approach to special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Early Help support starts from the foundation stage, with an Early Help Lead undertaking assessments and involving other professionals when needed. Families can have an informal conversation or arrange a meeting, providing a route into support when difficulties emerge.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admissions process. Applications are handled by the local authority through the Derbyshire Coordinated Admissions Scheme, with online, postal and telephone routes.
For entry in September 2027, applications open on 9 November 2026 and close on 15 January 2027. Separate application. Choosing the nursery still leaves a Reception application to complete; families should keep that deadline in their plans.
Morning nursery sessions run from 9am to 11:45am; afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 3:15pm. These are distinct session windows, so the choice affects how nursery fits around the family day.
Enquiries go to office@waltonpeakfha.co.uk or 01246 234381. Visits can be arranged by calling the school office. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, giving parents a defined window for contacting the team.
Morning sessions are 9am to 11:45am. Afternoon sessions are 1pm to 3:15pm.
The mud pie kitchen includes mud and real herbs. In March 2024, early years children also enjoyed outdoor play together, with opportunities for writing, number work and physical development.
The EYFS curriculum combines adult guidance with children’s own choices. Activities take account of individual interests, needs and developmental stage.
No. Families must apply separately through the normal admissions process. For September 2027 entry, the Derbyshire application round closes on 15 January 2027.
Call the school office on 01246 234381 to arrange a visit.
