Old Vicarage School Nursery Review

Gruffalo Woods, specialist French and a place in the school’s house system give this nursery a distinctly school-shaped day. Children join Old Vicarage School’s Nursery from the September following their third birthday, with an annual intake capped at 18. It belongs to the independent school’s Pre Prep department in Darley Abbey, Derby.

Nursery children take part in Verse Speaking and Sports Day, and join older pupils through the pastoral houses. Those connections begin early. This is a nursery where belonging extends beyond the classroom.

Play and teaching share the timetable. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines children’s own choices with activities led by adults, covering seven areas of development. For parents, that means early reading and number work sit alongside language, physical development and learning how to get along with others. During the ISI visit of 7 to 9 October 2025, the early years provision was found to balance these activities appropriately and give children purposeful opportunities to learn independently.

An EYFS practitioner teaches science, literacy and numeracy, supported by teaching assistants; French and music have specialist teachers. Phonics and maths feature daily, with learning taking place in the school gardens and woodland as well as indoors. Nursery children also share PE, art, music and woodland activities with Reception. The variety gives children different ways to participate, from movement to making things.

Gruffalo Woods is a regular shared learning space, while the former Conservatory provides another area for nursery activities. Dough Disco adds a concrete example of classroom life: a February 2026 news item describes early years children shaping play dough to music. Songs also support listening and responding. In October 2025, Nursery children were confidently linking letters with their sounds and blending these into simple words.

Curriculum sequencing. Some topics lacked a clear progression between year groups, limiting opportunities to consolidate learning. Improving those connections was the inspection’s recommended next step, a useful qualification to the positive early years findings.

Transition Mornings help new families meet staff, get to know classmates and become familiar with the school before starting Nursery. A taster session follows registration when a place is available, with informal observation for nursery applicants. These offer practical steps towards settling, rather than expecting children to adjust immediately.

Tapestry records photographs and staff observations, with secure access for each child’s parents. It gives families a way to follow learning at home. Emotional development also has everyday expression: children practise dressing themselves, cutting their food and recognising feelings. Structured games introduce taking turns and negotiating with others.

Lunch is a hot meal with two courses, eaten together with attention to cutlery and table manners. Regular drinking is encouraged, and milk at morning break is included in fees. Eating is part of learning independence.

In October 2025, early years staffing kept children within adults’ hearing and view. Every early years staff member had paediatric first aid training, and a trained adult was present while children ate. These are concrete safeguards around supervision and mealtimes.

Old Vicarage’s admissions route differs from a separate application for a maintained-school Reception place: its admissions page provides for Nursery children to progress automatically into its Reception class the next September. Families choosing this independent nursery therefore have a stated continuation route within the school.

That admissions position is separate from preparation for the classroom move. Shared lunches, playtimes and sessions in Gruffalo Woods introduce children to the early years team and specialist teachers throughout their nursery year. Familiar people and routines provide continuity when they change classrooms.

Attendance starts at a minimum of three days each week during the Christmas and Easter Terms, increasing to five in the Summer Term. Full-time attendance is also possible from the start. That summer increase matters when planning family routines.

Fees include supervision between 8.10am and 4.00pm, teaching, classroom resources, exercise books, lunch and morning milk. Extracurricular activities are billed separately. Contact the school for current charges.

Families can enquire through the online form or email secretary@oldvicarageschool.co.uk. Personal tours can be booked online, allowing parents to meet staff and discuss their child before registering.