Herries Preparatory School Nursery Review

A dedicated outdoor classroom, swimming and weekly trips to Cliveden give Herries Nursery a day that reaches beyond indoor play. Children join from age two, within the early years provision at Herries Preparatory School in Cookham Dean. In March 2025, the nursery comprised one class within the school.

The appeal is the combination of familiar nursery staff and specialist teaching. French, sport and music sit alongside imaginative play, giving children different ways to explore interests rather than spending the whole session on adult-directed tasks.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning through play with activities led by adults. At Herries, this means time to practise particular skills, then opportunities to use them in play children choose themselves. The March 2025 ISI inspection found that early years staff used questions and demonstrations effectively to develop communication, with children engaged in learning and achieving well.

Music includes a specialist lesson each week. Drama also begins in nursery, while swimming forms part of the nursery programme. These experiences add movement, sound and performance to the day alongside classroom learning.

Outside, the nursery has its own outdoor classroom. Forest School includes weekly Cliveden visits, and Herries Woodland School uses Bisham Woods for exploration and investigation by children including nursery pupils. Outdoor learning therefore has both a nursery space and woodland settings.

Everyday activities carry practical lessons too. In March 2025, early years children practised coordination through ball games and classroom resources, and explored buying and selling through pretend shops. Staff helped them learn to cooperate, take turns and become more independent in shared play. These are recognisable childhood activities with clear learning purposes.

The nursery team includes an EYFS key person role. Early years staff were qualified and experienced in March 2025, using their knowledge of each child's learning to identify when extra help was needed. Assessment supported that individual attention, rather than leaving children to keep pace unaided.

Parents receive termly reports and can discuss learning at parent meetings and curriculum information sessions. They can also contribute to school life by sharing a skill or taking part as a mystery reader, creating opportunities for family involvement beyond formal progress discussions.

Lunch is cooked on site each day. Nursery children eat with staff in the School Hall, transformed for meals into The Willows Restaurant; adults serve their food. Freshly baked bread and fruit accompany the catering provision, and special dietary requirements can be accommodated. Lunch is charged separately under the nursery fee arrangements.

Care includes teaching handwashing before snacks and helping children use designated spaces and resources when they need to calm themselves. In March 2025, early years staff understood safeguarding concerns specific to younger children and followed guidance on their use of electronic devices.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Confirm Reception admission requirements directly with the school. Herries accepts registrations online or through a form obtained from the office; an offered place then requires a signed acceptance form. Registration itself places a child on the entry list and is not an offer.

Educational continuity is a separate matter. Nursery and Reception staff coordinate provision for individual children, helping learning carry across the change of class. That shared work should not be confused with an admissions entitlement.

Families can choose a 34-week nursery model or a 47.2-week model. Morning sessions run from 8:30am to noon, afternoons from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, and full days from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Extended care runs from 7:45am to 6pm. The longer-year model allows flexibility over sessions and days, so the booking pattern can fit different working arrangements.

For three- and four-year-olds attending a registered setting within RBWM, the fee arrangements describe up to 15 funded hours a week during term time. Funding is reflected in the longer-year fees. Contact the school for current charges, including lunch and extended care.

Individual tours can be booked through the enquiry form or by calling 01628 483 350. This gives families a direct route to explore the nursery before registering.