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Nursery at Highworth Combined School and Nursery
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Stories, practical maths and imaginative play give Highworth’s nursery its learning character. The provision forms the school’s FS1 stage, with a Foundation Stage curriculum that connects children’s existing experiences to new learning. Its home is Highworth Combined School and Nursery, on Highworth Close in High Wycombe.
Play carries the learning. The Foundation Stage curriculum, or EYFS, brings together seven areas: children develop language, movement and social skills alongside early literacy, maths, creative expression and an understanding of their surroundings. For parents, that means learning extends beyond recognising letters or numbers. Talking with others, cooperating in a group and expressing an idea are part of the curriculum too.
Popular stories and themed activities provide starting points for questions and exploration. Books sit alongside poems, newspapers and magazines, giving children different kinds of written material to investigate. Language work includes listening and speaking, with children’s developing skills in other languages used where appropriate to support English. This connects new learning with what a child already knows.
Mathematics takes a practical route, pairing activities with the language needed to understand simple mathematical ideas. Music, drama, art and role play give children ways to communicate feelings and use their imagination. Physical learning takes place indoors and outdoors, developing movement, coordination and awareness of space. The day’s learning therefore includes both handling things and moving around, as well as talking and listening.
Cooperation is taught explicitly: children learn to play and work with people beyond their family. That makes social development part of their learning, rather than simply an expectation placed on them.
For children with SEND, the school’s support arrangements include additional help where appropriate and meetings with parents to review progress towards targets, overseen by the SENDCO. These provide a route for families to discuss learning needs and follow progress together.
Lunch offers a choice for nursery children staying at lunchtime: families can provide a packed lunch or order a charged school meal ahead of time. Lunchboxes and snacks must be nut-free, a school rule intended to protect children with severe allergies.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing nursery and applying for school as two separate decisions; attending here should not be treated as securing the next place.
Funded hours and extras. The nursery admissions information for the October 2025 to September 2026 cycle set out a funded pattern of 9.15am to 3.15pm across five days for families receiving 30-hour funding. An earlier start at 8.45am attracted an additional charge for those attending until 3.15pm every day. Confirm current charges with the school before booking.
That cycle also allowed charges for unfunded attendance beyond a child’s 15 or 30 funded hours. Occasional contributions towards a visiting guest or an off-site trip were voluntary. This distinction matters when planning childcare: funded attendance, extra time and optional activities have different charging arrangements.
Nursery applications use the Nursery Application Form linked from the admissions page. General enquiries can go to office@highworthcombined.co.uk or 01494 525534. The school also offers prospective-parent meetings and tours during September, October and November, booked through reception@highworthcombined.co.uk. Attendance is limited to five families per event, so flexibility over dates helps.
No. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate, and families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions process.
The Foundation Stage curriculum combines language, physical and social development with literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Stories, play and practical activities support this learning.
Yes, nursery children staying for lunch can bring a packed lunch instead of an advance-ordered school meal. Lunchboxes and snacks must be nut-free.
For families receiving 30-hour funding, the pattern was 9.15am to 3.15pm across five days. Daily attendance starting at 8.45am involved a charge for the extra time. Contact the school for current charges.
For general enquiries, contact office@highworthcombined.co.uk or 01494 525534. Prospective-parent meetings and tours are booked through reception@highworthcombined.co.uk, with attendance limited to five families per event.
