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Nursery at Micklem Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Forest School activities, dinosaur investigations and play inside and outside give Micklem’s nursery its character. This is the nursery at Micklem Primary School on Boxted Road in Hemel Hempstead, with entry from the term after a child’s third birthday, subject to spaces. Children can attend mornings or stay into the afternoon, giving families a choice over the length of the nursery day.
A nursery teacher works alongside an early years practitioner and teaching assistants. Additional learning support spans Nursery and Reception. That puts nursery children within the school’s early years team while retaining staff roles specifically attached to their provision.
The standard morning runs from 9am to noon; the full nursery day finishes at 3pm. Learning uses both the classroom and outdoor provision, with children’s interests helping to shape play. Micklem encourages children to attempt challenges and treats mistakes as opportunities to learn, an approach intended to build confidence in trying something unfamiliar.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together seven learning areas. Here, that means attention to children’s language, physical development, thinking and emotions, alongside stories, investigations and creative activities. Vocabulary is deliberately taught and supported so children can use new words to explain their ideas. Listening and attention also receive explicit attention, making communication part of the learning itself.
Forest School, art and music sit alongside themes such as space, animals, plants and seasonal change. These give children concrete subjects to explore through play and conversation. Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) is the early years phonics programme, linking spoken sounds with written words.
At the November 2023 inspection, children across the early years learnt sounds and word blending quickly, using robot-arm movements, and became familiar with school routines promptly. These findings concern the early years as a whole rather than nursery alone.
Settling for the September 2026 intake included home visits on 3 September, followed by a Stay and Play session on 4 September. The sequence gave families contact with the team before the nursery group experience, rather than making the first session the only introduction.
For learning concerns, the class teacher is the first contact. Families can speak with teachers after most school days or arrange an appointment through the office; the Inclusion Lead and SEND coordinator can also be contacted through that route. Micklem makes reasonable adjustments where needed so children with disabilities can participate in school life and learning.
Fruit is provided for EYFS children, and children may have a clearly labelled water bottle in class. HCL school lunches are a charged option. Lunch Club extends a morning until 12.45pm, but its charge excludes the meal, so families need to distinguish supervision from food when arranging lunchtime care.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Hertfordshire County Council handles school admissions, with applications made online or through its admissions team. The school cannot make a firm offer itself. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions, even though both concern the same school.
The 15 funded hours must be used Monday to Friday, 9am to noon. For children with an HMRC eligibility voucher code, the 30-hour pattern runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Families must reconfirm their eligibility details every three months to continue qualifying.
Paid additional hours can extend the morning to 3pm for children who do not qualify for 30 funded hours. A further charged extension, used with the full-day funded or paid arrangement, covers 8.45am to 3.15pm. Ask the school for current charges.
Arbor handles advance payments and Lunch Club bookings. Paid nursery hours require an account top-up followed by a booking through the office. Leaving nursery or reducing hours requires half a term’s written notice. Nursery enquiries and visit arrangements go through the school office on 01442 408 964. Children should be collected by a parent, carer or responsible person and signed out.
Children can start from the term after their third birthday. In-year entry depends on spaces and the child already being three before the new term begins.
Mornings run from 9am to noon, and the full day runs from 9am to 3pm. A charged extension to 8.45am–3.15pm is available alongside the full-day funded or paid arrangement.
No. A separate application is required through Hertfordshire County Council’s school admissions process.
No. Lunch Club extends the morning until 12.45pm, but its charge does not include lunch. HCL school lunches are charged separately.
Top up the Nursery Additional Hours account in Arbor, then contact the school office to book the sessions required.
