The Wharf Nursery School: play, language and growing independence

Green Rockets, Blue Rockets, Yellow Rockets and Little Stars give The Wharf's nursery week its shape. This is a maintained nursery school in Godalming, with provision for children aged 2 to 5, rather than a nursery classroom within a primary school. Its team includes early years teachers and nursery nurses; the youngest group has early years practitioners.

During the inspection on 6 and 7 June 2023, children showed strong cooperation and independence. Sharing sandcastle equipment and helping younger children ride a tandem trike made those qualities tangible. Learning to get along is part of the day.

Play carries the learning. Birth to Five Matters guides the curriculum alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which covers children's learning, care and development. In parent terms, that means practising conversation, movement, early reading, number skills and relationships through activities. Children choose play, while adults also guide learning through playful tasks suited to their development.

Language gets deliberate attention. Makaton supports communication, and in June 2023 adults helped children extend their vocabulary and speak in complete sentences. Frequent storytelling encouraged children to join familiar rhymes, while early phonics introduced the groundwork for reading. Number work developed counting and understanding, with frequent checks helping staff respond to gaps in learning.

Physical exploration has room here. There is a large garden, soft play and a Sensory Room with lighting that children or adults can control. Garden Explorers draws on three staff qualified to lead Forest School activities. In June 2023, children practised physical skills by riding bikes and climbing safely over obstacles; farm visitors and countryside trips extended their understanding of animals and nature. These are concrete ways to connect play with the wider world.

A qualified teacher serves as SENCO, working with the family, the child's Key Person and the SEN/D team. Children needing additional support spend most of each session learning alongside friends, with a separate room available for individual or small group work. Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and educational psychologists are among the professionals involved. That combines participation with more focused support.

Settling begins with opportunities to build familiarity: the autumn 2026 starting arrangements included home visits and play visits for new children. Parents can email family photographs to their child's key person for family books, giving home life a place in nursery. Parenting discussions can also be booked through the office.

Children attending all day receive a cooked lunch, which carries a separate charge. Families are asked to contribute two pieces of fruit each week for sharing. In June 2023, adults comforted upset children, routines supported their sense of security, and safeguarding arrangements were effective, with concerns acted on promptly.

Attending nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal route and meet the normal deadline. Treat that application as a separate decision from choosing nursery.

Transition support includes workshops for parents about helping children move into primary school. These offer preparation for the change; they do not secure admission.

Most children attend a fixed two-and-a-half-day pattern. Green Rockets meet on Monday and Tuesday, 8.55am to 2.55pm, plus Wednesday morning, 8.55am to 11.55am. Blue Rockets attend Wednesday afternoon, 12.30pm to 3.30pm, then Thursday and Friday, 8.55am to 2.55pm. Yellow Rockets run Monday to Friday, 9.05am to 3.05pm, for government-funded 30-hour places under the Working Parent Eligibility Scheme or privately funded places.

Little Stars has limited places from the term after a child's second birthday, with weekday mornings from 9am to noon and some 15-hour spaces. Provision is term-time only. Three- and four-year-olds have a 15-hour funded entitlement with no top-up fees; consumables are not charged. Contact the office on 01483 415220 or office@wharf.surrey.sch.uk, and arrange an in-person viewing by telephone.

Travel and clothing. There is no general parking on site: use nearby public car parks, with access to the disabled bay arranged through the school. Loose clothes and shoes with Velcro fastenings help children manage dressing independently; bring shoes as well if travelling in wellies.