Spring Meadow Infant School Nursery Review

Play has a clear purpose here: conversation, shared books and mathematics woven through the day. Spring Meadow’s nursery belongs to the infant school at High Barns in Ely and accepts children from three years old. The team listing identifies Caterpillar Class, with a nursery teacher and a teaching assistant.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 6 and 7 March 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings learning, development and care together. For parents, the practical picture is learning through play, with adults helping children develop language and mathematical understanding as activities unfold. In March 2024, adults used play to extend children’s vocabulary and speech, and planned mathematical learning across the day. Learning was not confined to a single activity slot.

Books also featured in the early years: children shared poetry, stories and factual books enthusiastically. Activities covered every learning area, with children taking part confidently. Indoor spaces and outdoor areas both supported learning effectively, giving children different settings in which to explore.

The September 2021 starting information described a nursery garden with a playhouse and pirate ship, alongside a sandpit, double slides and a track for wheeled toys. Those features give a concrete picture of the outdoor provision at that time: space for movement, imaginative games and hands-on play.

Starting arrangements for September 2021 included induction visits and home calls. Tapestry, an online learning journal, also formed part of the early years introduction, linking families with their child’s learning.

Additional support sits within the school’s SEND arrangements. The Assess, Plan, Do, Review process uses Edukey, allowing parents to access their child’s support plans electronically. Class teachers complete these with guidance from the SENDCo. This gives families a defined way to follow support and discuss adjustments.

School facilities include three sensory rooms and a purpose-built Thrive room. Support can involve specialist equipment, small-group work or changes to the curriculum. Behaviour support uses STEPS, with staff training also covering Recovery through Relationships; parents can raise concerns with their child’s class teacher. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a description of every nursery child’s routine.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Cambridgeshire’s school admissions route by the normal deadline. Spring Meadow handles nursery applications itself; the local authority sets school admission criteria. The criteria on the admissions page do not include nursery attendance as a priority, so familiarity with the school should not be mistaken for an admissions advantage.

For September 2021, the nursery offered a funded morning pattern of 9am to noon for 15 hours a week, or an all-day pattern of 9am to 3pm for 30 hours a week, conditional on eligibility. The extended offer required an eligibility code. These times describe that admissions cycle.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office: telephone 01353 664742 or email office@springmeadow.cambs.sch.uk. The school administers nursery applications directly, keeping that process separate from the local authority’s school-place allocation.