Two Waters Primary School Nursery Review

Forest school, Makaton signs and parents reading stories give the nursery at Two Waters Primary School a distinctive daily vocabulary. This is the school's own nursery class in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, with learning that combines communication, practical exploration and growing independence.

For the September 2026 intake, eligibility covered children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. Nursery teachers work within an early years structure that includes an EYFS leader. The early years provision received a Good judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separate nursery inspection.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and Development Matters guide the curriculum. In everyday terms, the nursery aims to help children communicate, enjoy stories, manage their belongings and learn alongside others. Children begin by placing their name in a Zones of Regulation category, giving adults a starting point for talking about feelings.

Communication takes several forms. A weekly Makaton sign introduces another way to express ideas, while visual resources support children who are non-verbal or learning English as an additional language. Small-group conversations and adult-led language activities sit alongside daily interactions. For children with special educational needs, the Attention Bucket Method and sensory circuits add specific support.

Books occupy classroom space, and weekly library visits let children select something to take home. Parents can join Stay and Read sessions each week or become secret storytellers. Nursery phonics sessions run daily, with Phase 1 and 2 content depending on the cohort. These routines give families practical ways to share reading beyond the classroom.

Independence is taught explicitly. Adults show children how classroom areas work, and labelled resources help them return equipment to its place. Weekly Forest school sessions provide outdoor exploration; tools such as drills introduce practical challenges. Cooking and tasting lessons in spring 2026 also linked food preparation with hygiene and healthy eating.

There are reservations to weigh. In September 2024, intended learning in parts of the early years curriculum lacked sufficient precision, and some activities did too little to build knowledge and skills, especially writing and transcription. Early handwriting foundations also needed clearer sequencing. Some younger children were expected to sustain attention for too long, reducing their motivation. Early phonics teaching, however, supported children effectively with sounding out and combining sounds to read words.

Sharing, turn-taking and including other children were evident in early years in September 2024. Emotional support also has a daily mechanism: children signalling sadness or anger through their morning registration receive a check-in.

For SEND, Nursery entry profiles help identify needs. Pupil Passports record individual targets and support, with parents involved in termly reviews. Families can raise concerns with the class teacher or reach the SENCo through the office. Gade Schools Family Support also offers a specialist family worker for parents of children with SEND.

Joining support can include welcome meetings and, where appropriate, a taster session. Lunch starts at 11.30am; nursery families can select a meat, vegetarian or cold meal through the absence-request arrangements. This gives lunch a defined place in the day.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the route was Hertfordshire's online admissions service and the closing date was 15 January 2026. That deadline has passed.

Preparation for changing class is separate from admission. Children spend time with their next teacher in the new classroom before the summer break. For children with SEND, staff share Pupil Passports and can prepare a transition book to use at home, helping make the change more familiar.

The nursery starts at 8.30am, with four finishing options: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm or 3.30pm. Those different collection times matter when matching a nursery place to the family working day.

Families can contact the school to arrange a nursery tour, using admin@twowaters.herts.sch.uk or 01442 217893. Eligibility for 30 hours funding can be checked through Hertfordshire, Childcare Choices or the government childcare calculator. Ask the school for current nursery charges. For spring 2026 cooking and tasting lessons, parents were asked for a contribution towards ingredients, payable through Arbor.