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Nursery at Normanhurst 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Forest visits, cooking and small-group learning give Normanhurst’s youngest children a day that reaches beyond the classroom. Nursery begins at age 2, followed by Pre-School for children rising 4. Both belong to the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), within its junior department in North Chingford.
Nursery and Pre-School occupy ground-floor rooms in the Main Building. That places the youngest children within the school’s existing facilities, rather than in a separate nursery site. The provision combines early learning with a practical childcare choice: the 2026–2027 full-day offer for new Nursery and Pre-School children covers 50 weeks, with families choosing three, four or five days each week.
The EYFS brings together early communication, physical skills, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. For parents, that means learning extends beyond letters and numbers to talking, playing with others and becoming more independent. Specialist sessions include dance, music and PE/Games, while children also use the School Hall, ICT Suite and Music Studio.
Learning responds to the child. The ISI inspection of 25 to 27 March 2025 found that early-years activities were adjusted through individual progress checks, helping children express their ideas and needs. Some teaching brings different ages together, with shared tasks pitched to children’s development. The point is participation at an appropriate level, rather than everyone completing an identical task.
Outdoors, weekly trips to the local forest give children opportunities to balance and climb with managed risks. Cooking and craft also develop hand control, including through activities outside. These are practical routes to physical confidence. Visits to local shops introduce reuse, recycling and the work of repair shops, connecting learning with familiar places beyond school.
Each child has a key person who follows their development and meets parents regularly to discuss progress and next steps. Before a Nursery start, a home visit helps staff learn about the child’s habits, preferences and individual needs. A school experience session is also arranged before the start date, giving children some familiarity before their regular attendance begins.
Full-day fees include lunch. Families considering entry should also understand the personal-care expectations: the admissions policy requires children to be dry and able to manage the toilet independently when they join.
SEND support can involve Individual Learning Programmes, help within lessons and individual or group work. Access to speech and language therapists adds a specialist option. Support limits. The SEND policy explains that highly specialised or intensive provision exceeds the school’s resources. Families whose children need this level of help should weigh that limitation carefully.
Early-years supervision was secure in March 2025: staffing ratios were maintained and children remained within staff sight or hearing indoors and outside. Staff also understood how changes in behaviour during play could signal a safeguarding concern. That attention to everyday behaviour matters for children still developing the language to explain a worry.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. For Reception applicants, the published school admissions process includes an observed taster, an offer if successful and acceptance paperwork. Existing Nursery families should confirm their progression requirements with the Admissions Registrar. The acceptance form must reach the School Office within two weeks of the offer date.
The September 2026 admissions policy does not include Nursery attendance among its preference factors. It instead lists family connections, staff parents, particular talents and an intention to remain throughout school. Familiarity with the setting should therefore be kept separate from entitlement to a place. A school experience session before an accepted Reception start supports the change of stage.
The full-day booking model starts at three days weekly, and families can increase attendance during the year. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 8.30am for Nursery and Pre-School; Tea-Time Club runs from 5pm to 6pm. Both carry additional charges. Contact the Admissions Registrar through the nursery enquiry page to discuss options or book a visit.
Funding needs a careful choice. The FEEE policy provides up to 15 weekly hours from the term after a child’s third birthday, with local-authority approval and a returned declaration form. Its limited funded-only afternoon places run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, exclude lunch and enhanced activities, and depend on availability. That policy describes 34 weeks of opening, whereas the 2026–2027 full-day fees for new Nursery and Pre-School children cover 50 weeks. Choose the attendance and funding arrangement together, and obtain the current charges from the school.
Nursery starts from age 2. Pre-School is for children rising 4.
The March 2025 inspection described weekly local forest visits for climbing and balancing, alongside cooking and craft tasks, some completed outdoors.
Lunch is included in full-day fees. The limited funded-only afternoon sessions exclude lunch.
The FEEE policy provides up to 15 hours weekly from the term after the third birthday, subject to local-authority approval and the declaration process. Funded-only places have restricted afternoon hours and availability.
No. Nursery attendance is not listed among the policy’s preference factors. Existing Nursery families should confirm their Reception progression requirements with the Admissions Registrar.
