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Nursery at Aldenham School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Woodland learning and school productions give Aldenham’s nursery a place in school life from the start. Children join once they have turned three, and the nursery belongs to the pre-preparatory department on the school’s Elstree site. This is a school nursery with opportunities to join activities beyond its own group: outdoor sessions, house events and performances provide occasions to practise working with others.
Outdoor learning has substance here. At the ISI inspection of 29 April to 1 May 2025, early years children developed movement and hand control through woodland activities, obstacle courses and PE. Staff helped them improve coordination and agility. These are practical opportunities to learn through movement, with different physical challenges rather than one repeated activity.
Language receives close attention too. Adults extend children’s vocabulary through conversation, and early years children communicate confidently. The Early Years Foundation Stage brings learning towards early learning goals; here, the concrete examples include speaking, physical development, social interaction and early mathematics. Staff understand what children can already do and identify the support needed for their next steps. That gives learning an individual starting point.
Role play makes number work tangible. Children use coins and banknotes to practise buying things, collecting tickets and handling change, connecting mathematics with familiar transactions. Police and military visitors help children learn about rules and public service. School productions and house activities offer another kind of practice: cooperating with other children and developing the confidence to participate.
Spiritual life also reaches the early years. Children discuss religions and attend services in the school chapel, making this a consideration for families choosing the nursery’s daily setting.
Before joining, Little Lions gives children aged two to three a chance to become familiar with the school through free play sessions. Registered nursery applicants are invited to Stay and Play, which helps establish their readiness for a school nursery. These opportunities introduce the setting before a place begins; they should be understood separately from an ongoing settling-in routine.
In April and May 2025, early years supervision included suitable staffing ratios, and staff undertook paediatric first aid training. Early years staff also recognised signs of possible harm and knew how to raise concerns. Together, these findings give parents concrete information about supervision, first aid and safeguarding responsibilities.
Support for learning starts with staff identifying what a child needs next and putting strategies into practice promptly. Food is part of the full-time arrangement: a cooked lunch is included, bringing a meal into the school day.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. For standard entry at four, children should be registered by September in the year before starting; assessments follow in October. Families already using the nursery should confirm with the admissions team which arrangements apply to their child.
The process includes activities in small groups organised by birth month, a parent questionnaire and a preceding 4+ Tea to help children become familiar with the assessment setting. Familiarity and admission are separate matters.
Full-day nursery attendance includes lunch, and there is also a session-with-lunch option. For full-time pupils, fees cover stationery, ordinary textbooks, apparatus and access to facilities. Optional paid clubs and private music tuition are invoiced separately after the term. Contact the school for current charges.
Nursery enquiries go to prepadmissions@aldenham.com or 01923 851666. Families can arrange a school tour through the admissions team. A visit provides an opportunity to consider the school nursery setting alongside the practical choice of attendance pattern.
Children are eligible once they have turned three.
Lunch is included with the full-day and session-with-lunch options. Full-time pupils receive a cooked lunch as part of their fees.
Early years activities include woodland learning, obstacle courses and PE, with staff supporting coordination and agility.
No. The standard 4+ entry process involves registration by September in the year before entry and assessment in October. Families with children already in the nursery should confirm their arrangements with the admissions team.
Yes. Families can arrange a tour. Little Lions provides free familiarisation play sessions for children aged two to three, while registered nursery applicants are invited to Stay and Play.
