Nursery at Northfields Infants and Nursery School

Stories, first letter sounds and learning to express feelings give Northfields’ nursery its character. This is the nursery within Northfields Infants and Nursery School in Letchworth Garden City, where the school’s overall age range is three to seven. The focus here is the beginning of learning: talking, listening, sharing books and getting along with other children.

Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 30 April and 1 May 2024. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately graded nursery. Communication is a clear strength of the early years curriculum, giving children a foundation for the learning that follows.

Language gives the learning its direction. In April and May 2024, the early years curriculum had a clear structure across its learning areas, with staff giving close attention to children’s communication. For parents, this means that learning to express an idea and understand others carries educational weight alongside the first steps towards reading.

Books provide a concrete example. Nursery children explore initial letter sounds and enjoy stories together, connecting the beginnings of phonics with the pleasure of reading. These are complementary experiences: sounds introduce an element of how written language works, while shared books give children reasons to engage with it.

Learning also includes managing feelings and being part of a group. Support for understanding emotions begins in Nursery, with adults helping children find practical ways to respond. Where relationships between children work well, they share and sustain their attention on activities. The social side of the day therefore supports participation in learning, rather than sitting apart from it.

For children with speech, language or communication needs, nursery support had a positive effect in April and May 2024. Staff used approaches that helped develop these skills, supporting children’s subsequent learning in reading and writing. This is a specific strength for families whose child needs help communicating.

Emotional support has a practical emphasis too. Children receive help to recognise their feelings and use strategies to manage them. The implication is useful and immediate: understanding a feeling becomes a step towards deciding what to do with it, with adult guidance forming part of that learning.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.

The early years curriculum provides a foundation for later learning, but in April and May 2024 the school did not consistently extend that foundation in some subjects. The positive early years judgement should therefore be understood within its own scope, rather than treated as an assurance about every subsequent stage.

The nursery is part of the school at Burley, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 4PT. The school telephone number is 01462623388, providing a direct contact point for families considering the nursery.