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Nursery at Chaucer Infant 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Vegetable planting, obstacle courses and children pouring their own drinks give Chaucer’s nursery day a practical character. Play connects learning with ordinary tasks, from handling cutlery to getting coats on. Independence is something children practise.
Maple Tree is the nursery class within Chaucer Infant School on Cantelupe Road in Ilkeston. It forms part of the school’s early years provision. At the September 2024 Ofsted inspection, early years provision was judged Requires improvement. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than being a separate nursery rating.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning about language, relationships, movement, reading, numbers, creativity and the surrounding world. Here, children learn through play, with books providing a starting point for exploration. Reading spaces and books distributed around the learning environment give stories a place beyond a single group activity.
Outside, children search for small creatures, grow vegetables and look after birds. Physical activity includes sweeping, painting with large brushes and rollers, and making obstacle courses. These are concrete opportunities to use bigger movements while investigating and creating. Forest School visits are also open to all children as part of the school’s outdoor learning.
The snack and chat area gives independence a physical home. Children choose snacks, pour drinks and practise using cutlery; learning to manage wellies and coats extends that practice into getting ready for outdoor activity. Early years children also gather on Friday afternoons for songs, rhymes and stories.
Learning checks. In September 2024, children in early years often struggled to retain learning, their next steps were not consistently clear, and new letters or sounds could be introduced before earlier ones were secure. Families should ask how staff check understanding and decide when a child is ready to move forward.
Settling begins with nursery taster sessions attended by children and their parents. Open afternoons and evenings allow families to explore the setting together or parents to visit alone. Where a child’s needs have already been identified, induction includes meetings with the relevant agencies. That gives families a way to discuss support before starting.
For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), support can include adapted resources, individual work and small groups. Visual timetables, calm spaces and communication boards are among the school’s tools. The SENDCo coordinates additional provision, with the Early Years SEN Service among the services involved in support and reviews. Parents can raise concerns with the class teacher and agree next steps and a review date.
Class Dojo messages and arranged conversations with staff provide routes for ongoing contact. Children staying over lunchtime can currently have a hot meal without charge, prepared in the school kitchen. Allergies and religious diets are catered for; specific dietary requirements require a form supported by a GP. Nuts are prohibited.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the normal deadline. Choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself.
Preparation for starting Reception is a separate matter. The transition programme includes two family stay-and-play evenings and a transition day whose length can be adapted to the child. Staff or the SENDCo may visit a child’s preschool where appropriate, and identified needs can prompt meetings with relevant agencies. These activities support familiarity; they do not secure admission.
Morning Nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am, while Afternoon Nursery runs from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. The option labelled 30 Hours Nursery runs from 8:45am to 3:20pm. Those different finishing times matter when arranging collection alongside other commitments.
Nursery lunch falls between 11:30am and 12:30pm. Early years parents bring children to their classroom doors, providing a direct handover point. For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0115 9325629 or email info@chaucer-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk. Nursery open afternoons and evenings provide an opportunity to visit with or without your child.
Morning Nursery is 8:45am to 11:45am, Afternoon Nursery is 12:20pm to 3:20pm, and 30 Hours Nursery is 8:45am to 3:20pm.
Activities include growing vegetables, caring for birds, searching for small creatures and making obstacle courses. All children have the opportunity to visit Forest School.
Parents can attend nursery taster sessions with their child. Open afternoons and evenings also allow visits, and children with identified needs can have additional meetings involving relevant agencies.
Children present at lunchtime can currently have a hot meal without charge. Meals are prepared onsite, allergies and religious diets are catered for, and specific dietary requirements require a GP-supported form. Nuts are prohibited.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process. Transition activities help children prepare for the change, but do not secure a place.
