Stapleford Primary School Nursery

Language learning and a shared early years class give Stapleford’s nursery its character. In May 2024, nursery children were taught alongside Reception children, placing the provision within the school’s youngest mixed-age group. This is a school-based start, with older early years children in the same class.

Stapleford Primary School admits children from age 3 and has a Church of England character. Its setting on Church Lane in Stapleford puts it near Hertford, with the River Beane, farmland and Woodhall Park Country estate/forest around the school. Those surroundings give the provision a rural context. Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its inspection on 8 and 9 May 2024; that judgement covers early years together rather than a separately graded nursery.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework, with a programme running over two years and a nursery mathematics plan. For parents, the clearest examples of learning concern language and concentration: children develop accurate vocabulary and practise staying with an activity until it is finished.

In May 2024, early years teaching and curriculum delivery were working well. Adults helped children refine their language, gently putting right an incorrect name for an object. This gives everyday conversation a teaching purpose. Small corrections matter when children are building the words they need to explain themselves.

Activities also helped children sustain attention and complete what they had begun. Early years children demonstrated control over their behaviour. The emphasis was therefore on more than taking part: finishing a task was itself part of learning, giving children practice in persistence as well as participation.

Communication about learning gave parents something concrete to use at home. In May 2024, families responded positively to the information they received, including advance notice of the tricky words children would encounter the next week. That allows home conversations to connect with classroom learning, rather than leaving parents to guess what to practise.

For a child experiencing difficulties, the school asks families to speak to the class teacher and SENCO so that pastoral help can be focused on their needs. This provides a direct route for raising concerns about a child’s wellbeing. Parents can also approach the headteacher with concerns, with governors available as another point of contact.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Sharing a class with Reception children, as nursery children did in May 2024, provides familiarity with an early years group spanning both stages. That classroom arrangement is separate from the allocation of school places.

Both 15 and 30 hours of nursery provision are offered. There is a nursery application form, and families can arrange a school tour by calling the office on 01992583341. A tour offers a practical opportunity to consider the school setting before making an application.

The school welcomes pupils of all faiths. For families considering this Church of England setting, that welcome sits alongside its relationship with the village church.