Manorfield Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Weekly Forest School and a day punctuated by stories, songs and freely chosen play give Manorfield’s nursery provision its character. In Horley, the school has a nursery admitting children from the term after their second birthday, followed by pre-school from the term after their third birthday. Moving between those groups depends on a space being available.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 16 and 17 November 2022; no two-year-olds were attending the nursery at that time. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play alternates with organised teaching. The pre-school day starts with warm-up activities and children choosing what to do, then moves between mathematics, phonics and periods of free flow learning. Lunch separates the morning’s songs and story from afternoon activities including Talk for Writing, fine motor work and mindfulness. Children have repeated opportunities to return to their own interests.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together physical development, communication and emotional and social learning, alongside literacy, mathematics, creative work and understanding the world. Here, children select resources indoors and outdoors, while adults watch their play and help take ideas further. Practical objects support early mathematics. Read, Write Inc. Phonics begins at the end of pre-school, so its timing matters when considering what a younger child’s day involves.

Forest School has a substantial physical setting: a large field, a purpose-built shed, places for dens and a campfire area. Early years children attend weekly, through different seasons and weather conditions. Activities include den building, outdoor art and cooking over a fire, with adult supervision and safety rules. Jigsaw PSHE and Helicopter stories also feature in the pre-school week. Outdoor exploration sits alongside language and social learning.

In November 2022, early years children enjoyed stories and rhymes and had appealing books around them. However, curriculum sequencing between early years and the next stage needed attention in some subjects, because children could repeat learning unnecessarily. This is a useful distinction: the activities themselves matter, but so does how learning develops afterwards.

Tapestry, an online journal, connects parents with observations of their child’s learning. Meetings, reports and year group updates also share progress and ideas for supporting learning at home. Families can follow development across time, rather than relying only on a brief conversation.

Welcoming children involves visits, exchanges of information and meetings with parents and staff from early years settings. For children with SEND, extra opportunities to become familiar with new staff can form part of transition. Across the school, the SENCO coordinates additional support, and teachers work with parents to plan adjustments and review their effect. Classrooms are on the ground floor, with low-level basins and an accessible toilet cubicle supporting physical access.

Lunch is part of the pre-school timetable. The school is nut free, and packed lunches must exclude products containing nuts. Families should report food allergies or intolerances. This makes food preparation a practical part of planning the nursery day.

Nursery or pre-school attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application alongside other families through the normal school admissions process. Surrey County Council is the school’s admission authority and provides the application route.

Transition support is a separate matter. Where appropriate, children with SEND have additional chances to get to know their next teacher or teaching assistant, and staff exchange information about individual children. Familiarity can help prepare a child for change; it does not secure admission.

Two part-time patterns each total 15 hours: Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon with Thursday and Friday. Full-time attendance runs Monday to Friday for 30 hours. The four full days run from 9am to 3pm; Wednesday’s morning session is 8.40am to 11.40am, and its afternoon session is noon to 3pm. The split Wednesday needs careful diary planning.

Nursery applications distinguish FEET-funded and fee-paying places; pre-school applications include 15-hour and 30-hour funding options, with limited free places available for eligible families taking the 30-hour option. Applications go directly to the nursery or pre-school. For enquiries, contact the office on 01293 782839 or info@manorfield.surrey.sch.uk. Children wear practical, weather-appropriate clothes rather than uniform.