Feltham Hill Infant and Nursery School: Nursery Review

A nature garden, climbing activities and reading corners give Feltham Hill’s nursery a day built around movement, conversation and play. This is the school’s own provision for three- and four-year-olds on Bedfont Road in Feltham, with funded morning, afternoon and longer attendance patterns.

Early years provision was graded Outstanding by Ofsted at the inspection on 19 and 20 March 2024. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery. Children’s ability to play cooperatively and the secure foundations established through the curriculum were strengths: learning alongside other children matters here as much as choosing an activity independently.

Children direct some of their own learning, choosing activities and pursuing interests, while adults lead small groups and whole-class sessions each day. The balance gives children room to explore and regular opportunities to learn together. Stories, singing and conversation are central to the nursery’s emphasis on communication.

The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and Development Matters. In parent terms, this connects learning about feelings, relationships and communication with physical skills, early reading, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Practical experiences give these areas substance: children explore materials, make models, discuss stories and experiment through art and role play.

Space supports that approach. The nursery has a large indoor learning area, reading spots both outside and indoors, and outdoor provision that includes its nature garden and places to climb. The shared early years outdoor area has covered and open sections, allowing outdoor activity throughout the year. For children who learn through movement, the day offers more than seated tasks.

A nursery example brings the learning into focus: during activities about Lunar New Year, children tried chopsticks to practise fine motor control and painted Chinese symbols while exploring Chinese culture. Cultural learning and physical coordination meet in the same activity.

Preparation begins with opportunities to become familiar with the nursery. Open-day tours run across the year, and families offered places can attend welcome stay-and-play evenings towards the summer term’s end. Meeting staff and exploring resources beforehand gives children something familiar to return to when their sessions begin.

Independence is part of the preparation too. Families are encouraged to practise managing shoes and coats, and the nursery expects children to develop toileting skills. Staff can help with some aspects, while clothing that children can manage themselves supports the routine. Reading together and singing rhymes are also encouraged before starting.

Parents receive updates through everyday conversations, scheduled meetings and a learning journal. These provide different ways to follow a child’s learning rather than relying on a single formal meeting. Children attending the longer funded pattern need a packed lunch on Monday to Thursday, and on Friday if staying for the paid afternoon.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by its usual deadline; choosing nursery attendance should remain a decision about the nursery itself.

Children share the early years outdoor space with Reception. That provides a familiar physical link between the classes, separate from the question of admission.

The universal funded offer provides 15 hours weekly for three- and four-year-olds, with mornings from 8:45am to 11:45am or afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Eligible families can use 30 funded hours during term time. Since September 2026, that pattern runs from 8:45am to 3:30pm Monday to Thursday, finishing at 11:45am on Friday.

Friday afternoons. Families using that pattern can pay to extend Friday until 3:30pm on a half-termly basis. The shorter funded Friday therefore needs a separate collection plan unless that extension is arranged.

Families ineligible for 30 funded hours may purchase additional sessions, subject to space, from 11:45am to 3:30pm, with a packed lunch. These must be requested when applying, and fees are collected monthly beforehand. Contact the school office for application forms, session guidance and current charges: office@fhi.hounslow.sch.uk or 020 8890 3814.