Headlands C of E School Nursery Review

Forest School throughout the school year gives Headlands nursery a distinctive outdoor thread. Its woodland sits within the school grounds, so exploring nature does not depend on travelling elsewhere. This is the nursery at Headlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Liversedge, where children can start school from age three.

The early years provision received a Good judgement at Ofsted’s inspection on 12 and 13 November 2024. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery. The detail matters: warm adult-child relationships and effective group teaching sit alongside weaknesses in the spaces used for independent learning.

Play and adult-guided activities shape the learning approach. Headlands follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), combining activities children pursue independently with more focused work. Through active play and discovery, children learn to explore and understand the world around them. Staff observe children’s progress and use their interests and individual needs to plan what comes next. For parents, this means learning is organised around both exploration and purposeful adult input.

Forest School adds a concrete setting for that exploration. Nursery children take part across the school year, with opportunities to investigate the natural surroundings and play with mud. A leader with Level 3 Forest School training runs the sessions, supported by teaching or support staff linked to the class. Children’s choices help shape the activities, while adults supervise discovery and risk-taking.

In November 2024, children joined activities eagerly and quickly learned to cooperate in play. Teaching in groups and as a class was effective, and the curriculum took account of existing skills.

Learning spaces. Indoor and outdoor provision needed further development in November 2024. Children had too few chances to consolidate new skills and language, and some adults lacked clarity about the learning intended in particular areas. Some children consequently made less progress than they could. For families, the important distinction is between well-led teaching sessions and the opportunities to practise afterwards.

Early years children adapted promptly to routines in November 2024, supported by affectionate relationships with staff. This gives a useful picture of settling into everyday expectations. The staffing structure includes nursery nurse and educational teaching assistant roles, alongside an EYFS leadership role.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school’s support network includes the Early Years SEND team, Educational Psychologists, Kirklees Outreach Teams and Kirklees Keeping in Mind. Parents can reach the SEND team through the school office, which directs concerns to the appropriate member of staff. This provides a clear starting point for discussing a child’s needs.

Attending Headlands nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. School places are allocated under the local authority’s admissions policy; the route signposted by Headlands is Kirklees Primary School Admissions. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as separate steps.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. These are distinct three-hour blocks, useful for judging how the nursery timetable fits family routines.

Enquiries go to the school office at office@headlandsce.net or on 01924 767066. Visits can also be arranged through the office. For Forest School, send labelled outdoor clothing in a named bag: wellingtons or walking boots, warm layers and a warm coat, preferably waterproof, are among the requested items. Children return home wearing their outdoor clothes, with uniform carried in the bag.