Colwall CofE Primary School and Nursery: The Nest

A wall chart for comparing heights, Gingerbread Man adventures and firework dancing give The Nest its character: learning through things young children can do, imagine and talk about. This is Colwall CofE Primary School and Nursery’s own nursery class, welcoming children from the age of 2 years.

Play is the organising idea. Children choose activities and play alongside one another, with planned early learning woven into that experience. For families, the distinction is practical: the nursery begins with children’s play rather than the timetable of older school pupils.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together movement, communication and children’s social and emotional development, alongside early maths, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. In parent language, learning includes how children speak, move and relate to others as well as their first encounters with numbers and stories.

Specific activities make that approach tangible. Nursery children have compared their heights using a wall chart, turning a familiar difference between friends into a maths activity. Gingerbread Man play has involved following crumbs, working out clues and imagining escapes from foxes. Stories become something children participate in, with opportunities to talk through what happens next.

Creative work takes different forms. Bonfire Night activities have included paintings of fireworks, dancing and singing London’s Burning. These connect a shared theme with pictures, movement and song rather than keeping it to one type of activity.

Outdoor learning also appears in nursery story play. Children have acted as Gingerbread Men outside while developing their movement skills, and discussed the characters’ feelings during storytelling. That links physical activity with language and emotions: the same story can prompt both conversation and active play.

The nursery lead practitioner also holds the school’s designated safeguarding lead and special educational needs coordinator roles. This places nursery leadership, safeguarding responsibility and SEND coordination with the same member of the team, giving families a clear connection between those areas of support.

Parents can speak with staff on the plaza, or contact them by telephone or email. A nursery care instruction concerns sunny weather: parents should apply suncream before attendance because staff cannot apply it to nursery children. That is a preparation task to build into the morning routine.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, meeting the deadline for their child’s intake. Herefordshire Council allocates school places, so choosing The Nest and applying for school are separate decisions.

Shared activities offer a different kind of connection. Nursery children and Wrens have shared books for National Storytelling Week and performed The Sleepy Shepherd Nativity together. These are examples of contact with the Reception group; they should not be treated as an admissions advantage.

The school is on Mill Lane in Colwall, WR13 6EQ. Enquiries go through the school office on 01684 540532 or admin@colwall.hereford.sch.uk. Tours can be booked, giving families a direct way to see the setting before deciding.

At collection and drop-off, children must stay out of the staff car park. Keep that boundary in mind when planning the journey between the nursery and your car.