Oakleaf Primary Nursery Review

Listening walks, tapping sticks and story books give Oakleaf’s nursery its character: early learning built around sounds, movement and play. This is the nursery within Oakleaf Primary in Hemel Hempstead, for children aged 3 and 4. Children can start in the term following their third birthday, allowing entry at different points in the school year.

For 2027-2028, the nursery has 30 full-time spaces. Oakleaf Primary has no Ofsted graded rating yet under this URN. Families should therefore judge the practical fit of the nursery’s day and support arrangements without treating a school inspection grade as a nursery endorsement.

Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions give families a choice of day length. The nursery describes play and discovery as its starting point, with a school-devised curriculum based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. In practical terms, the nursery music programme connects language, physical development and creative expression: children sing, move to music and explore instruments.

Tapping sticks introduce changes in speed and volume. Songs and body percussion give children ways to practise listening and coordinating movement, while making their own sounds gives them something to discuss. These are concrete activities rather than an abstract promise of preparation for school.

Early phonics also begins with listening. Letters and Sounds activities include listening walks, shaker games and animal noises; outdoor drumming uses Boomwhackers. Rhyming activities include Silly Soup, alongside books such as Room on the Broom. The older cohort follows Sound of the Week in spring and summer. Children can also borrow library story books, extending storytelling into home life through retelling, predicting and answering questions.

Oakleaf’s early-years staff are trained to assess children’s starting points and plan their next steps. The planned settling programme for the 2025 intake included a parent induction meeting, stay-and-play sessions and staggered starts, with dates still to be arranged or confirmed. These were intended to help children and parents become familiar with nursery before regular attendance began.

The school’s SEND support involves class teachers, teaching assistants and the Inclusion Lead, with parents helping to develop and review individual targets. Depending on need, support may involve a pair, a small group or individual work. Specialist services include an Early Years Advisory Teacher and Speech and Language Therapy Service.

Across the school, the Acorn room and the Nest provide spaces for intervention and therapy. These are school-wide facilities, rather than a description of the nursery classroom. My Child at School is a key communication channel for parents, making school messages part of the practical routine of staying in touch.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no nursery-attendance priority under the 2027-2028 admission arrangements. Parents must make a separate application through their home local authority. Hertfordshire residents apply online to Hertfordshire County Council; families elsewhere use their own authority’s application form. For September 2027 entry, the closing date is 15 January 2027.

Transition support is a separate matter. The school’s arrangements include a July move-up morning, teacher handovers and extra classroom visits where helpful. Some children may have individual transition meetings or books to share at home, giving families practical ways to prepare for a change of class.

Sessions run Monday to Friday in term time: mornings are 08:45–11:45, afternoons 12:15–15:15 and all-day attendance 08:45–15:15. This makes school holidays a separate childcare consideration.

For 2027-2028, families may use 15 or 30 funded hours. Applications must cover at least 15 hours; funding cannot be divided with another provider, and eligible families are asked to take their full 30 hours at Oakleaf. A valid 30-hour code is required half a term before starting and must be reconfirmed every 3 months. Families without 30-hour eligibility can pay for sessions beyond their 15-hour entitlement; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery uniform includes a white T-shirt, navy jogging bottoms and a school-badged navy sweatshirt or cardigan. Label belongings and send a filled, named water bottle daily. For nursery enquiries, email admin@oakleafprimary.co.uk or telephone 01442 503449.