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Nursery at Nettleworth Infant and Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A mud kitchen outdoors and Plan Do Review indoors give Nettleworth’s nursery a clear emphasis: children choose, experiment and think about what they have done. This is the school’s Foundation Stage 1 provision on Ley Lane in Mansfield Woodhouse, with a 39-place Foundation Unit. Children can start in the term following their third birthday, with September, January and April intakes.
Ofsted judged the early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 March 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Choice has a practical place in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) here. During Rainbow Learning Time, children use Plan Do Review: deciding what to try, putting their ideas into action and then reflecting. For parents, that means play includes opportunities to make decisions and tackle problems, rather than simply move between activities.
Open shelves put resources within children’s reach. A calm corner and a cosy book area offer space for stories, conversation and quieter moments, while books also appear elsewhere around the nursery. Outdoors, the Foundation Areas support play in different weather conditions. Children can build, climb and explore the mud kitchen, with room for noisier, messier activity. Sharing equipment brings turn-taking into everyday play.
Language work has its own rhythm. Daily Little Wandle rhyme time uses a nursery rhyme of the week to explore listening, rhyme and syllables; daily foundations for phonics sessions develop awareness of sounds. Nursery maths moves from numbers 1 and 2 towards numbers to 5. Familiar Places and My Environment are geography themes, connecting learning to surroundings children recognise.
The school is working towards Curiosity Approach accreditation. Its plans include natural objects, recycled materials and loose parts for exploration. This is an approach in development, rather than an accreditation already achieved.
Settling begins before the first term. Families are contacted during the preceding term to arrange induction sessions in the Nursery Unit, giving children an introduction to their new setting. For group play, the March 2023 early years findings offer reassurance: adults helped children practise sharing and taking turns. Teaching was tailored to individual needs, while familiar routines gave children confidence in learning.
Thrive and Take 5 support the emotional side of the day. Take 5 happens daily in each class, using breathing and grounding practices. The school uses Thrive class profiles to guide activities and identify children who may need additional support, with more focused help possible individually or in small groups.
SEND targets. In March 2023, some targets across the school were too general, and checking progress was not fully established. Families whose children need additional support should discuss precise goals and how progress will be reviewed with the special educational needs co-ordinator.
Food education includes learning about healthy choices and support with decisions in the EYFS dining areas. Under-fives can receive free school milk through Cool Milk registration: a daily 189ml serving of semi-skimmed milk. Free provision ends on the Friday before the child’s fifth birthday.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer priority under the standard 2026-2027 admission criteria. A separate application is required. Families living in Nottinghamshire must apply through Nottinghamshire County Council and meet the normal application deadline; the local authority sends application instructions and deadline details.
The distinction matters: becoming familiar with Nettleworth through nursery is separate from obtaining a full-time school place. Families should plan for that second application while their child attends nursery.
The nursery admission arrangement describes 15 hours per week through three-hour morning sessions. Morning sessions run from 8:40 to 11:40, and afternoon sessions from 12:20 to 15:20. Confirm session allocation with the school before arranging care around nursery.
For nursery registration, telephone 01623 455940 or collect an application form from the school office. General enquiries can also go to office24@nettleworth.notts.sch.uk. Families can arrange a school visit through the headteacher, allowing them to see the setting before deciding.
Children are admitted in the term after they turn three, with intakes in September, January and April.
Morning sessions are 8:40 to 11:40. Afternoon sessions are 12:20 to 15:20. The nursery admission arrangement describes 15 hours per week through three-hour mornings. Confirm session allocation with the school.
Families are contacted the term before their child starts to arrange induction sessions in the Nursery Unit.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place or confer priority under the standard 2026-2027 criteria. A separate application is needed; Nottinghamshire residents apply through Nottinghamshire County Council.
Children have daily Little Wandle rhyme time linked to a nursery rhyme of the week, alongside daily foundations for phonics sessions that develop awareness of sounds.
