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Nursery at Fairfield Park Lower 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Squirrels at Dickens Boulevard and Penguins at Ruskin Drive give Fairfield Park Lower School’s nursery two distinct bases within the same school. Squirrels has capacity for 32 children; Penguins has 24 places. Each occupies a separate nursery classroom attached to its school site, giving children their own class base before the move into main school.
Children can join from the term after their third birthday. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 16 and 17 July 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school.
A session moves between welcome activities, Finger Time, learning indoors and outdoors, a snack break and a closing carpet activity. Children have opportunities to choose their own learning during the learning sessions, so the timetable combines shared routines with time to pursue an interest. Outdoor activity forms part of the session rather than sitting solely within a separate playtime.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides the nursery’s teaching. Here, that includes developing children’s speech, communication and early mathematical understanding: foundations they will use to explain ideas, understand others and work with numbers. Letter sounds begin in Nursery too. In July 2024, children from Nursery onwards understood these sounds well, giving early reading a clear starting point.
Challenge for children ready to go further. In July 2024, some early years children needed more chances to stretch their learning. Vocabulary development was also receiving further attention. For families, the useful question is how staff extend a child’s interests once they have mastered an activity.
Settling begins before the first regular session. Families meet an early years team member to discuss their child’s experiences and development, receive a welcome pack and have time for questions. Children also attend a familiarisation session, followed by staggered entry into nursery. This gives staff information from home while children begin learning the routines in manageable stages.
Dedicated staff with EYFS qualifications work in both classes, with support from a qualified teacher and oversight from the Phase Leader. A special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is based at each site, giving families a local contact alongside their child’s class teacher. In July 2024, early years children requiring extra help were recognised and received support.
For children with SEND, parents meet the class teacher at least once each term to discuss progress, targets and support. Foundation Stage staff training includes Lift off to Language. Both school sites have step-free, wheelchair-accessible buildings, and each has an accessible toilet and shower, practical features for children with mobility or personal care needs.
Snack time is part of the nursery routine. A hot lunch can be provided during the lunch session, allowing families to include a meal within their chosen attendance pattern.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place, and it gives no priority under the arrangements for September 2027 entry. Families must make a separate school application. Central Bedfordshire residents apply online through the council; those living elsewhere apply through their home local authority. The closing month is January, with the precise deadline to be checked with Central Bedfordshire Council.
Familiarisation is a separate matter from allocation. During the summer term, nursery groups make repeated visits to Reception to meet adults and practise routines. They also join school lunches and playtimes, making the wider school spaces familiar before the change of class.
Staff coordinate with the child’s chosen or allocated school and pass on reports and agreed records. That preparation therefore supports children moving elsewhere as well as those offered a Fairfield Park place.
The core day runs from 9am to 3pm, with morning sessions from 9am to noon and afternoons from noon to 3pm. Families can choose sessions to suit their needs. Ruskin Drive also offers nursery extensions from 8am to 9am and from 3pm to either 4pm or 5pm, useful when the core day is too short for work commitments.
Funding covers 15 hours of nursery education each week; qualifying working parents may receive another 15 hours. The 30-hour funded pattern runs from 9am to 3pm and includes lunch. Care outside those hours carries an additional charge. Families without eligibility for 30 hours can purchase extra sessions beyond 15 hours when space permits; paid sessions are invoiced before each half term. Contact the school for current charges.
Arrange a nursery tour through the office on 01462 830000 or office@fairfieldparklower.uk. Children are dropped off and collected at their classroom. Nursery gates close at 3:05pm; later collection is through the main office and attracts a late charge.
Children are eligible from the term following their third birthday. September is the main intake, with January and April entry dependent on spaces.
Yes. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. Families can choose sessions to suit their needs.
Families meet an early years team member before starting, and children attend a settling session. Entry into regular nursery sessions is staggered.
Yes. There are 15 funded hours each week, with a further 15 for eligible working parents. The 30-hour pattern covers 9am to 3pm with lunch; additional wraparound care is charged separately.
No. A separate application is required, and nursery attendance gives no priority for September 2027 entry. Apply through Central Bedfordshire Council if you live in its area, or through your home local authority if you live elsewhere.
