Uplands Infant School Nursery Review

A reading shed, a vegetable patch and stories acted out with animal sounds give Uplands’ nursery its character: learning through play, with language running through the day. This is the nursery provision within Uplands Infant School on Melbourne Road in Highfields, Leicester, welcoming children from age 2. Little Ducklings is the provision for two-year-olds; nursery also welcomes three-year-olds.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 26 and 27 October 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Children combine play they choose themselves with teaching led by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), alongside Development Matters, shapes the curriculum. In parent terms, this means developing communication, physical skills and relationships while also exploring books, mathematics, creativity and the world around them. Small teaching groups provide extra help with skills such as phonics and hand control.

Stories have several settings here. Children share books in the home corner, read to soft toys and enjoy the outdoor reading shed. They revisit favourites, discuss illustrations and practise telling stories together. Those activities give children reasons to listen, speak and experiment with language, rather than treating reading as a separate exercise.

For Little Ducklings, exploration includes water, sand and shaving foam. Wet sand becomes sandcastles; bubbles invite children to watch what happens when they burst. The school garden and vegetable patch provide things to investigate outdoors. Nursery children also practise balancing, climbing and swinging, linking play with physical development.

The October 2022 early years findings described purposeful indoor learning and a carefully ordered curriculum, but identified weaker outdoor resources and learning opportunities. At the same inspection, staff across the school were applying agreed reading methods unevenly. Leaders were asked to make teaching consistent so every pupil received the help needed to become a capable reader. Outdoor learning. The outdoor environment needed to support the curriculum as effectively as the indoor provision. For families who value learning outside, that is a material consideration alongside the garden and reading shed.

Settling begins with contact between home and the nursery team. Families are invited to an induction and an individual meeting, and staff make home visits to help children become familiar with nursery. The Family Liaison Officer supports parents whose first language is not English with translation and admission forms. This gives families a practical way to share their child’s needs before starting.

Daily routines and picture timetables help children understand what comes next. The early years team includes a Nursery Lead, educators and teaching assistants. Parents receive updates each half term about learning, with one parent meeting for children in pre-nursery and two for nursery children during the school year. A summer report records progress, while informal conversations provide another route for sharing concerns.

For children with additional needs, the SENCO can arrange referrals for speech and language, medical or psychology support. Discussing needs at the initial meeting allows planning to begin before the child joins. Food also features as a learning experience: Little Ducklings have mixed pancake ingredients and selected toppings, while nursery children have made biscuits for Eid. These are opportunities to talk, take turns and participate in making something together.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Uplands. Families must make a separate online application through Leicester City Council using the normal Reception admissions process and deadline. The council allocates places; a child may receive another school or join a waiting list if the year group is full.

Transition support is separate from that allocation. Children joining Reception are invited to a summer-term induction, and families meet a team member to share information about their child.

Morning nursery runs from 8.45am to 11.45am, with an afternoon session from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. These are distinct session times, so families need to plan around the session their child attends.

Places can accommodate parents eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare. Additional morning or afternoon sessions are charged for parents who do not qualify; contact the school for current charges. For two-year-old entry, eligible families can apply for a TYF or 50 code in the term before the child turns 2, and paid places are also accepted. Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 0116 262 5280.