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Nursery at Batford Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A pond with frogs and newts, three classrooms to explore and a garden for Forest School give Batford Nursery School a day built around discovery. This is a maintained nursery school in its own right, serving children aged 3 to 5 in Harpenden, rather than a nursery class within a primary school. It has space for 120 children, divided between 60 morning and 60 afternoon places.
Batford Day Care shares the site but is a separate provision. That distinction matters when arranging a longer day: nursery education and additional care have different enquiry and admissions arrangements.
Choice sits alongside a recognisable routine. Children move between Robin, Kingfisher and Woodpecker classrooms, with time for their own play balanced by activities led by adults. Small-group learning, songs, phonics and stories give sessions a structure, while the routine can change with children's needs and seasonal events. Children practise taught skills through play rather than spending the whole session following adult instructions.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects learning with care and development. Here, that means building communication, movement and relationships alongside early reading, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Construction materials, pretend play and sand and water give children different ways to explore ideas. A library is accessible during the day, with a group library session once a week.
Outdoor play happens daily. A digging plot and grassy space bring nature into learning; balance beams and a mini climbing wall provide physical challenges. The bike track accommodates scooters and trikes, including tandem trikes. Children have room to practise movement as well as investigate.
Forest School adds supervised work with real tools, shelter building and creating homes for mini-beasts in a dedicated garden. Staff with level 2 and level 3 Forest School qualifications work with children throughout the year. Yoga takes place in a large hall, and Makaton signing includes a sign of the week. These add movement and another means of communication to the nursery day.
Two classes each have a qualified teacher, and children belong to one of three colour groups within their class, supported by a key person. Before starting, families receive a key-person telephone call, a New To Nursery Parent Meeting and a Stay and Play session. Those contacts give children and parents an introduction before regular attendance begins.
Tapestry, the online learning journal, lets parents see observations and videos, comment and contribute experiences from home. Termly meetings with a key person or teacher provide time to discuss progress. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), support can include individual assistance and work with outside specialists.
Snack bars in Robin and Kingfisher let children choose when to pause for food or a drink. Milk is free through the Nursery Milk Scheme. The school is nut-free, and families must share allergy and intolerance information; meals through Batford Day Care require separate allergy details. Day Care also provides catering for nursery children attending under the 30 hours scheme.
At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that learning was adapted to individual needs, children needing extra support were identified accurately, and safeguarding was effective. The practical emphasis included helping children express worries and signal when another person's actions made them uncomfortable.
Attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Reception admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing nursery education here is a decision about the nursery year, rather than securing the next school place.
Transition support is a separate matter. Batford works with local primary schools, including around SEND or personal circumstances that could make moving harder. Children make a short visit to their new school on the schools' July transition day, and their Tapestry journal may be shared to help the receiving school understand their learning.
Term-time sessions run from 8:30 to 11:30 or 12:30 to 15:30. Flexibility at drop-off and collection can be agreed for parents with older children at primary school. The 15-hour entitlement covers 38 weeks, and places require those hours to be taken solely at Batford.
Longer days. Some 30-hour places are offered to eligible families, but eligibility does not ensure a place: fee-paying places take precedence. Parents must supply an eligibility code, checked termly; losing eligibility during a term makes fees payable. Ask the school for current charges. Batford Day Care handles separate enquiries for wraparound care, running from 7:30 to 8:30 and 15:30 to 18:00 during term time and school holidays.
Uniform is optional. Comfortable clothes that children can manage themselves, wellingtons kept at school and a hooded coat suit the daily activities. Voluntary contributions support resources and some visits. To enquire or book a nursery tour, contact the school office on 01582 713872 or email admin@batfordnursery.herts.sch.uk.
The nursery school serves children aged 3 to 5. Batford Day Care is a separate provision on the same site.
Morning sessions are 8:30 to 11:30 and afternoon sessions are 12:30 to 15:30 during term time.
Families receive a telephone call from their child's key person, attend a New To Nursery Parent Meeting and have a Stay and Play session before starting.
No. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline.
Some 30-hour places are offered to eligible families, although eligibility does not guarantee a place and fee-paying places take precedence. Batford Day Care provides wraparound care through separate enquiries and admissions arrangements.
