Five Elms Primary School Nursery Review

Leaves, twigs and cones give early learning a concrete starting point at Five Elms: children have used them to explore counting outdoors. This nursery belongs to Five Elms Primary School on Wood Lane in Dagenham. Its school setting matters for families who want to understand both the early years experience and the support structures around it.

The clearest picture is of learning that extends beyond the classroom, with stories and conversation alongside practical mathematics. Choosing this nursery and securing a Reception place are separate decisions. Familiarity with the school does not guarantee admission later.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children flourished in early years learning indoors and outside, with adults reading aloud and encouraging vocabulary development. The inspection also identified a school-wide weakness in checking and developing understanding of specialist vocabulary across subjects; that concern should not be read as a nursery-only finding.

The outdoor counting example is specific: children selected natural objects and worked forwards and backwards between zero and 10. Handling those objects gives numbers something tangible to refer to. It also shows outdoor space being used for learning rather than simply as a break from classroom activity.

Listening to adults read was another early years feature in October 2022. Stories helped children develop their imagination and interest in books. Alongside this, learning and using new words began in the early years, connecting listening with the language children could use themselves.

SchoolPing carries updates for parents and carers, with paper versions obtainable through the office. That gives families a regular communication channel and a practical alternative to digital messages. SEND enquiries also go through the school office to the SEND coordinator.

Specialist support has a distinct remit. The school's Additional Resource Provision for Deaf and Complex Needs serves pupils with an EHCP who have bilateral deafness ranging from moderate to profound, alongside speech and language difficulties or complex needs. Its Total Communication approach values spoken language and BSL equally. Support is allocated individually, so families should distinguish this specialist provision from the general nursery offer.

Safeguarding procedures apply across the school. Staff must pass welfare concerns promptly to trained leaders, who work with social services. Parents are normally consulted before outside agencies are contacted, except where doing so could increase the risk to a child. This explains how concerns are escalated and why some situations require a different response.

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. Treat the nursery choice as a decision about your child's early years experience, with the later school application handled separately.

The school office is the general enquiry route: email office@five-elms.bardaglea.org.uk or telephone 020 8270 4909. The address is Wood Lane, Dagenham, RM9 5TB. For families managing communications, paper copies of SchoolPing updates can be requested from the office.