Brockswood Primary School Nursery Review

Peas counted during story play, bubbles made in an experiment and time in the sandpit give Brockswood’s nursery, Pips, its character: learning through things children can handle, test and imagine. It belongs to Brockswood Primary School in Hemel Hempstead, with 26 nursery places offered each September.

For the September 2026 intake, children’s birth dates fall between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 3 to 4 December 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

An 8:40am start leads to either an 11:40am finish or a longer day ending at 3:15pm. The morning option gives families a shorter session; staying into the afternoon extends the time children spend at nursery.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) takes practical form here through counting, stories and learning how to treat others. In December 2024, nursery children counted peas into a container while acting out Princess and the Pea. The activity connected a story with number work, helping children use counting in play. Children also learn kindness and consideration from their nursery year.

Pips activities in summer 2026 included a bubble experiment and exploring different combinations that make five. A visit to the sandpit added a concrete outdoor setting to that learning. Early reading starts in nursery through phonics, familiar fairy tales and nursery rhymes, giving children several ways to encounter sounds and stories.

Beyond Pips, the school site has a wooded Forest School area with mature trees, a digging space and a mud kitchen. These are useful features of the wider setting; the nursery’s own sandpit visit provides a specific example of its outdoor day.

Support for additional needs begins in early years. In December 2024, children’s learning foundations were established quickly, with the nursery counting activity showing how practical play helped build confidence.

For families discussing SEND or medical needs, the school considers children’s individual requirements and discusses proposed outside advice or assessments with parents first. This gives parents a part in decisions about specialist involvement. The school’s pastoral lead also offers appointments each day for parents and carers who want to talk through worries, including family circumstances.

Tapestry is the nursery’s online learning journal and its platform for remote learning. School-wide parent meetings take place in autumn and spring, followed by an informal summer Open Evening. For the nursery’s planned summer 2026 zoo trip, families were asked to send lunch and water in a backpack children could carry themselves: a small, practical exercise in independence.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Hertfordshire County Council and meet the deadline for their entry year. For the 2026 Reception intake, the deadline was 15 January 2026; that cycle has passed.

Preparation for a new class is a separate matter. Pips children talked about the move and shared their feelings, while families joined the New to Nursery, Reception and Pip’s Picnic Fundamentals meeting. Discussing the change gives children a chance to express worries and anticipation before moving on.

Longer days and funding. The longer nursery pattern provides 30 hours each week for families with a qualifying code. Parents who do not qualify can pay a top-up for childcare until 3:15pm. Contact the school office for current charges and to arrange the additional care.

Contact and collection. General enquiries go to admin@brockswood.herts.sch.uk or 01442 404000. Parking is available at Woodhall Farm Sainsburys beside the school. Use this for drop-off and collection, keeping neighbouring roads clear.

Payments are cashless through Arbor or online. Across the school, non-branded supermarket uniform is an option, and the office handles enquiries about second-hand clothing.