Intake Farm Primary School Nursery Review

Outdoor learning every day gives the Ducklings nursery class its defining rhythm. Children spend most of their day outside, with clothing chosen for active play rather than compulsory uniform. For a child who likes learning on the move, that is a practical distinction.

Intake Farm Primary School's nursery occupies the school's Foundation Stage Unit in Mansfield. It serves children aged three and four, with an additional route for eligible two-year-olds during the term of their third birthday, using a government childcare code. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns give families different ways to organise attendance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage combines early learning with children's development. Here, the detail includes children choosing activities, adults following their interests, and visual prompts supporting routines. White Rose Maths begins in FS1, the nursery stage. In June 2023, early-years children explored seven indoors before taking the idea outside, sorting beanbags between hoops. Number work had a physical form.

Story Dough brings storytelling to the table through playdough models: children make their own characters and places, then talk through the stories they invent. Scribble Club takes a different route into writing, using marks, patterns and shapes. Alongside these, Dough Disco and Squiggle and Wiggle are used to support movement and hand control. These activities give children ways to practise the movements and language involved in later writing.

The How does your garden grow? topic brings minibeasts and growing plants into learning about habitats and life cycles. Parents are encouraged to extend this learning through minibeast hunts and observing plant growth at home.

Books travel home too. Ducklings receive a wordless Phase 1 book so they can tell the story themselves, alongside a class-library book; both change weekly. Practical topic tasks are set each half-term. Families can share photographs through Dojo, email work or bring it into class, linking home activity with nursery learning.

Induction begins before the first nursery term. Registered families are contacted during the preceding term to arrange induction sessions, giving children an opportunity to become familiar with the Foundation Unit before starting.

Language interventions are part of support in Ducklings. For children with physical needs, staff work with families and specialists, adapting equipment and activities and including children in group work. Stories and pictures represent different family structures, backgrounds and abilities, making inclusion visible in everyday materials.

For queries about a child, the class teacher is the first contact. In June 2023, early-years reading support included extra help for children who were falling behind, with reading books matched to the letter sounds being taught. That provides a concrete example of support responding to a learning need.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application for full-time school, including families whose children already attend the Foundation Unit. Nottinghamshire residents apply through Nottinghamshire County Council and must meet the deadline for their child's admission cycle. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. The full-day pattern is 8:30am to 3:15pm. Three- and four-year-olds have 15 funded hours weekly, while working parents may qualify for 30 hours. Families can also arrange their 15 hours across two and a half chosen days or a mixture of morning and afternoon sessions.

Paid extended hours allow children with 15-hour funding to attend all day when their families do not qualify for the 30-hour code. Contact the office for current charges. Nursery visits can be booked through office@intakefarm.notts.sch.uk, and enquiries can be made on 01623 625552.

Uniform is optional in Ducklings. A coat is needed, belongings should be labelled, and weather-appropriate hats or gloves should accompany children when needed. Scarves are excluded. Daily outdoor learning makes these small preparations part of the nursery routine.