Blidworth Oaks Primary School Nursery

Songs, familiar stories and learning to take turns give the nursery at Blidworth Oaks Primary School its character. Provision spans Little Acorns for two-year-olds and Foundation 1 for children aged three to four, placing the nursery within the school's Foundation Stage.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 1 and 2 April 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Children were making good developmental progress, with skilled curriculum teaching and attentive care supporting their learning.

Stories are acted out and retold by staff, while songs and rhymes feature in early years learning. These give young children ways to engage with language before independent reading becomes the focus. Familiar tales provide a starting point.

Social learning begins in the Nursery Year: children practise sharing turns, working together and taking responsibility during purposeful play. For parents, this means learning includes how children manage being part of a group, alongside their developing interest in stories.

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, covers development from birth to age five. Nursery sits within that stage. Reading is a school curriculum priority from early years onwards, and families can use videos demonstrating ways to support reading at home.

For children needing additional help with communication, the school funds a speech and language therapist who works with children and develops support programmes. The therapist also coordinates with NHS speech and language work already supporting a child. This gives families a connection between school support and existing therapy.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator can be contacted through the office. Support planning brings parents together with the teacher and SENCo to agree adjustments, interventions and a review date. Parents' views also inform reviews, so support can change as a child's needs develop.

Student and Family Support (SAFS) provides a wider school team covering family difficulties, physical health, emotional wellbeing and additional educational needs. School regulation spaces are managed by trained staff, with individual plans developed alongside families. These are school support arrangements, rather than nursery-specific rooms.

Food brought into school must exclude nuts and traces of nuts. Packed-lunch containers should be labelled and unbreakable, making the school's food rules relevant when preparing a child's lunch.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate: families must apply again through the normal Reception process and meet its deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and securing a school place as separate decisions.

Foundation 1 offers the 15-hour childcare entitlement from the term after a child's third birthday; some children qualify for 30 hours. The school office handles registration and enquiries on 01623 792348 or office@blidworthoaks.notts.sch.uk.

Prospective families can arrange a school visit, including during an ordinary school day. This provides an opportunity to see the setting before registering. Branded school uniform is optional, and second-hand uniform can be obtained through the office.