Norton St Nicholas CofE (VA) Primary School Nursery

Discovery Time gives this nursery its character: children choose their learning, with access to an indoor area and The Garden. Books provide the starting point for planned activities, while a qualified teacher works with children each morning. There is room for both adult guidance and children's own ideas.

For three- and four-year-olds, the nursery forms part of Norton St Nicholas CofE (VA) Primary School on Norton Road in Letchworth Garden City. Children join the wider school for collective worship, celebrations and events such as sports day. That connection gives nursery life a school-community dimension from the start.

At least three hours each day are protected for uninterrupted Discovery Time in Nursery. Children can use The Garden and the indoor learning area during this period, giving them a choice of where to pursue their play. Alongside this, teaching includes small groups, whole-class work and activities introduced or led by adults. The book-based approach connects planned learning with stories and new vocabulary.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) takes practical form here. Short maths teaching and play introduce quantities up to five, recognising a small quantity at sight, comparing more with less and continuing patterns. Children also investigate capacity, weight and length, and choose shapes for a purpose. These are concrete ways to build early number and comparison skills.

Writing begins with making meaningful marks and developing the movements needed to control a pencil. By the end of Nursery, children are taught to write their name. Drawing, painting and craft sit alongside exploratory play, with planned opportunities to mix colours and practise cutting. Religious education includes Harvest, Christmas, Diwali and Hanukah, as well as caring for other people and the world.

In the inspection of 30 November and 1 December 2022, Ofsted found that early-years adults supported number learning effectively and used questions to extend children's thinking. It also identified a weakness: resources were not consistently arranged to serve the intended learning, limiting what some children could achieve. Resources and layout. Matching materials to the learning remains the improvement identified at that inspection, a useful focus when considering the nursery's play provision.

Settling starts before the first nursery session. Families receive a home visit, and children can attend stay-and-play sessions with a parent or carer before joining. Where appropriate, the class teacher visits the child's preschool too. These contacts give families and staff opportunities to share information before nursery routines begin.

Support draws on school staff with expertise in speech and language, special educational needs, behaviour and emotional needs. Parents can raise concerns with the class teacher, with the SENCo providing a further contact. For children on the SEN register, termly planning meetings bring parents into discussions about targets and support. Transition for a child with SEN is planned with the family and child involved.

Children staying until 1pm bring a packed lunch. Families also supply additional personal consumables, such as nappies, when their child needs them; the school provides the everyday consumables used for learning.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal local-authority process. For Hertfordshire residents, that means the Hertfordshire County Council online application.

For the September 2026 entry cycle, the deadline was Thursday 15 January 2026. Nursery attendance carried no separate oversubscription priority in those arrangements. Applicants using categories 2 or 4 also needed to return a Supplementary Information Form to the school by that date.

Familiarity is a different matter from admission. Nursery children participate in school life, and staff pass information about learning and wellbeing to the receiving class at the end of the academic year. That handover supports continuity for children who move on, while the Reception application remains separate.

A minimum of 15 hours is expected. Families can use five mornings from 9am to noon, three mornings plus one full day, or two full days plus one morning. Full days run from 9am to 3pm. Other patterns can be discussed, so the model gives families some choice over how those hours fit together.

The funded offer covers 38 weeks: 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds, with up to 30 hours for eligible children. Those using more than 15 hours tell the school their chosen days and hours at the beginning of each half term. Collection can be at 1pm or 3pm. Nursery wraparound care extends from 7.45am to 6pm.

Additional hours and trips are chargeable; Forest School and other activities carry no charge. Contact the school for current charges. Nursery enquiries go to admin@stnicholas23.herts.sch.uk or 01462 623322, and application forms are returned to the school office.