Oak View Primary and Nursery School Nursery Review

Stories, listening games and spoken sounds give Oak View’s nursery its character. Early literacy starts with conversation and play, combining activities guided by adults with those led by children. The emphasis is on building the skills that come before formal reading.

Ofili Class is the nursery provision within Oak View Primary and Nursery School on Woods Avenue, Hatfield. It caters for three and four year olds. A nursery teacher also leads the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and holds responsibility for early years phonics, linking the class’s teaching with the wider early years team.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised provides the phonics approach. In nursery, children share poems and stories, join in action rhymes, practise attentive listening and blend sounds aloud. Adult guidance and children’s own activities both contribute. These are foundations for hearing how words work.

Maths follows ESSENTIALmaths, developed by Herts for Learning. Its approach moves between practical objects, pictures and abstract representations, giving children different ways to understand mathematical ideas. Alongside this, early years science follows children’s curiosity: observing plants and animals, drawing what they notice and exploring changes in the natural world. Primary Science Teaching Trust provision maps sometimes provide starting points, including links to stories and nursery rhymes.

The EYFS here brings language, early number work and exploration together. In June 2023, Ofsted found that early years learning placed a strong emphasis on language, and that staff taught the phonics programme consistently. Reading areas in each classroom provide space for books and shared reading. Stories can also become play, with puppets, masks and other props chosen to suit the children’s age.

Teaching assistants and early years practitioners support the nursery class. For families raising developmental or additional-needs questions, the school has a SENDCO and a SEND support team. Parents can contact the SENDCO through admin@oakview.herts.sch.uk, marking the message FAO SENDCO. That gives families a direct route into discussions about support.

Communication and parent consultations use Arbor. Meals are supplied by Hertfordshire Catering, with SchoolGrid handling ordering and payment. The school’s Pupil Choice Plus Menu includes vegetarian or meat hot dishes, a cold option and jacket potatoes. Adapted menus cater for selected allergies, intolerances and cultural choices; applications for medical diets require evidence from a GP, consultant or dietitian. Nursery meal charges should be checked with the school for the current arrangements.

Attending Oak View’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Hertfordshire County Council, which coordinates admissions to the main school. Treat that application as a separate step when planning your child’s next year.

For the 2026 entry cycle, the primary application deadline was 15 January 2026. That date has passed; it is not a deadline for the next intake.

For 2026–2027, the funded nursery pattern is 15 hours each week across five mornings, Monday to Friday, from 8.45am to 11.45am during term time. This gives children a repeated morning routine and leaves afternoons outside that funded pattern.

The nursery timetable also gives an afternoon session of 12.15pm to 3.15pm and a full-time day of 8.45am to 3.15pm. These timetable entries should be read separately from the five-morning arrangement for 2026–2027.

Nursery applications are managed by the school. The main 2026–2027 application process has closed, with late application forms available through the office. Call 01707 280590 or email admin@oakview.herts.sch.uk. Prospective parents can arrange an appointment to view the school.