Stamford Green Nursery Review

Weekly Forest School and two home bases, Cygnets and Swans, give Stamford Green’s nursery its character: children belong to a smaller group while sharing indoor and outdoor learning spaces. The provision welcomes children aged two to four within Stamford Green Primary School and Nursery in Epsom. About 50 children attend, with younger children grouped in Cygnets.

Two qualified nursery teachers lead the provision, supported by teaching assistants. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 7 and 8 January 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Exploration Time gives children room to pursue interests through play. Alongside it, adults lead group activities and focused tasks that build specific skills. This is how the early years foundation stage (EYFS) takes shape here: children learn through their own choices as well as activities guided by adults. For much of the day, both classes share the indoor and outdoor classrooms, widening their opportunities beyond their home group.

Language has several routes into the day. Adults and children discuss stories daily, with rhymes and books woven into nursery life. Word Aware introduces concepts such as empty, full, below and above; children then use these words during learning and exploration. Parents receive the vocabulary and suggestions for practising it at home, giving conversations beyond nursery a link with the day’s learning.

Every nursery child participates in Forest School each week, using the school grounds for learning outdoors. It gives outdoor exploration a regular place in the timetable. Social learning is equally explicit: sharing, friendship and manners sit alongside independence and making choices. Children practise how to be part of a group as well as following their own interests.

A nominated key worker supports a small group within each class. This gives families a familiar adult connection within the larger nursery team. Once a child has been offered a place, the welcome pack introduces the induction process, which includes meetings and play sessions. Settling begins through contact with both the adults and the setting.

In January 2025, care and support across early years were excellent, with staff helping children develop communication and language and providing frequent practice in early literacy and numeracy. These findings connect the adult support with what children actually learn.

The school aims to adapt learning to individual needs and give children with SEND equal access to school life. Families can contact the inclusion team through parents@stamford-green.surrey.sch.uk. Communication also has a regular rhythm: Monday emails explain the week’s learning and carry reminders, while fortnightly newsletters share achievements and events. That gives parents useful starting points for talking about nursery at home.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal Reception admissions process, with Surrey County Council as the admission authority. Nursery applications are handled by the school itself. Treat these as two separate decisions, and apply again for Reception through Surrey’s school admissions route.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01372 725 383 or email parents@stamford-green.surrey.sch.uk. Bookable open mornings include nursery classrooms and outdoor areas, giving families a chance to see the spaces used for learning. Ask the school for current nursery charges.

Wraparound care. Sunrise and Sunset serve children from Reception to Year 6. Their age restriction matters when planning childcare around a nursery place.