Boddington Church of England Primary Academy Nursery Review

Bird feeders, natural paints and a tyre swing give Boddington’s pre-school a practical outdoor character. Wren class takes children from age two until they begin Reception, within Boddington Church of England Primary Academy in Upper Boddington. This is the school’s own nursery provision.

The nursery describes a teacher-led approach, with small classes. Its team includes a CACHE Level 3 practitioner and a Level 3 teaching assistant. For families, the combination to consider is early learning within a school setting alongside exploration beyond the classroom.

Children can attend a morning, an afternoon or the whole day, with a lunch club between the shorter sessions. Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): communication, movement and emotional development provide the starting points, with maths, literacy, creativity and understanding the world developing alongside them. Adult-guided activities sit beside play that children initiate themselves. The school aims to build learning around children’s interests, so the balance of activities responds to the group.

Wren’s topics give that learning concrete starting points. This is me explores family and community; Who are you? introduces celebrations and people who help others. Later themes include Around the World and Looking Beyond, taking children towards countries, climate and space. Read, Write Inc begins in pre-school, providing a named approach to learning sounds and early reading.

Indoor learning extends into an outdoor area used throughout the year, except in the hardest weather. Children can choose where to learn, with activities covering the learning areas on both sides of the door. Forest School also takes pre-school children off site, with Forest Bees delivering sessions supported financially by Boddington Village Hall. A qualified Forest School teacher leads the programme. Activities have included tree climbing, treasure hunts and making bird feeders: practical opportunities to explore materials and movement.

In September 2021, the early years curriculum was being revised, and Ofsted asked for the completed revision to be incorporated into curriculum plans so that the youngest children’s learning connected clearly with later teaching. That was a specific planning issue, rather than a nursery grade.

Tapestry connects learning with home. The online journal shares children’s experiences and development with parents; the early years team also shares photographs and videos, and families can contribute milestones from home. This gives parents something concrete to discuss with their child and allows staff to learn about experiences beyond nursery.

Lunch club allows children to eat between sessions. Families can supply a packed lunch or order one from Nancy’s Cookhouse for an additional charge.

For additional needs, the school uses a cycle of assessing, planning, providing support and reviewing it, with parents involved in decisions. Adaptations include visual timetables, changes to resources and extra processing time. Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Early Years Portage are among the agencies the school works with. These are school support arrangements, with provision shaped around the individual child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority under the 2027–28 oversubscription criteria. Families must apply separately using their home local authority’s Common Application Form. West Northamptonshire residents apply through West Northamptonshire Council; the deadline for entry in 2027–28 is 15 January 2027.

Familiarity and admission remain separate. Once a place has been offered and accepted, summer-term welcome meetings and visits introduce families to the next stage. The incoming Reception cohort also has opportunities to spend sessions in school before September.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, lunch club from noon to 12.30pm, and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The whole-day option runs from 9am to 3.30pm, giving families a choice between shorter attendance and a day spanning both sessions.

The nursery accepts both 15-hour and 30-hour government-funded childcare entitlements. Additional sessions carry charges, as does an ordered packed lunch; contact the school for current charges. To arrange a pre-school tour or make an enquiry, email boddingtonpreschool@boddingtonschool.org or telephone 01327 260120.