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Nursery at Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A school field, ponds and woodland give Bayford’s nursery a countryside setting, while mornings provide the core attendance pattern. This is nursery provision within Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, for children aged 3 and 4. The school can admit a maximum of 15 nursery children in an academic year.
The nursery sits within the Early Years provision. Its team includes a nursery leader, an Early Years teacher and a teaching assistant with an Early Years support role, giving families a clear team structure around the youngest children.
Mornings run from 8:45 am to 11:45 am, with afternoon sessions continuing from 11:45 am until 3:15 pm. Lunch is served at noon. The practical choice is between a morning routine and regular afternoons added to it.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) day combines play with activities that develop physical skills, early learning and independence. In spring 2025, the Early Years timetable included fine motor activities, Drawing club, music and cooking. Little Wandle Phonics and the Daily Mile also featured. These give a concrete picture of a day that moves between making, movement and early literacy, rather than concentrating on one kind of activity.
Outdoor learning has a named approach: TWiGS Forest School. In a 2022 example, Early Years children used natural materials to outline bodies and add facial features. That brings learning about the body into a practical making activity. The school grounds include woodland, ponds and a field, so the wider setting has physical spaces for learning beyond the classroom.
Early reading. In February 2025, delivery of the school’s early reading programme varied for younger pupils, slowing some children’s progress with sounds and letters. This is a school-level concern relevant to families thinking about the next stages of early literacy, rather than a separate nursery judgement.
In February 2025, children in Early Years, explicitly including nursery, settled into school routines successfully. Adults helped them practise sharing and take greater responsibility for their play and learning. For a child beginning nursery, those everyday habits matter as much as the activities themselves.
Families discuss afternoon requirements and lunch arrangements when a nursery place is offered. This makes the meal part of planning a longer day, alongside the choice of sessions.
For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school uses an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle, involving parents in decisions about support. Every classroom has a visual timetable, providing a visible guide to the sequence of the day. The SENCO works with families and outside professionals; additional visits can be arranged for children with SEND entering school. Those visits offer a way to make an unfamiliar setting more familiar before starting.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application to Hertfordshire County Council, even when their child already attends Bayford’s nursery. Apply through the council’s normal admissions process by the deadline it sets for that year.
Keep this application separate from nursery attendance and session booking. A nursery offer is an offer for nursery; it does not secure the next school place.
Sessions operate Monday to Friday during term time. The usual expectation is attendance at all five mornings, totalling 15 hours a week. Fewer mornings or another pattern may be agreed individually by the headteacher. Regular afternoon sessions are available to admitted children and arranged term by term, so families plan that commitment for each term.
The nursery offers provision for the free 15 or 30 hour entitlement. Children who are not entitled to that provision are charged; contact the school for current charges. Choosing mornings alone does not count against a child in the nursery application process.
Nursery applications go directly to the school. Forms can be emailed or returned to the office. For enquiries, email admin@bayford.herts.sch.uk or telephone 01992 511259; visits can be arranged by calling. A visit offers families a chance to meet the team and see the setting before deciding.
The nursery has places for children aged 3 and 4, with a maximum of 15 children admitted in an academic year.
Morning sessions run from 8:45 am to 11:45 am. Afternoon sessions run from 11:45 am to 3:15 pm, Monday to Friday in term time.
The usual expectation is all five mornings, but the headteacher may agree fewer mornings or other arrangements individually after a parental request.
No. You must apply separately to Hertfordshire County Council through its normal admissions process by its deadline for that year.
Call the school on 01992 511259 to arrange a visit. Nursery enquiries can also be emailed to admin@bayford.herts.sch.uk.
