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Nursery at Northfield Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Welly Wednesday gives Northfield’s nursery its most distinctive weekly rhythm: outdoor learning takes up most of that session, with digging and planting in the garden among the activities. Muddy clothes are part of the plan. This is Ash Class, the school’s Foundation 1 provision, where children aged 3 and 4 attend within the Foundation Stage Unit.
There are 78 nursery places, split into 39 for each morning and afternoon session. Families can use a morning or afternoon pattern for 15 hours a week, while eligible families can take a full-day pattern for 30 hours. That makes the nursery relevant both to parents seeking shorter sessions and those needing a longer day.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 24 and 25 June 2025. This judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.
Adult-directed activities sit alongside play chosen by the children. The Early Years Foundation Stage framework brings together learning about language, relationships, movement, reading, numbers, creativity and the surrounding world. In practical terms, the week includes singing and stories, maths and phonics, with staff also supporting children’s thinking during their own play indoors and outside.
The garden is a working learning space. On Welly Wednesday, children need outdoor clothes and wellingtons or other sturdy footwear; old clothes suit the digging and planting. Friday brings PE, with children attending in their kit. These give families two clear points around which to organise the nursery week.
Books connect the session with home. Children take home a book they choose for an adult to read aloud, alongside a wordless book that invites them to tell a story from pictures. The wordless lilac books begin after one or two terms, depending on age. Nursery phonics also introduces children to hearing the separate sounds within spoken words, so early reading work includes listening rather than simply looking at letters.
In June 2025, early years activities supported learning effectively, and children followed established routines and sustained their attention. Those findings give substance to the balance between planned teaching and independent activity.
Settling starts before the first regular session. Registered families are contacted during the preceding term, and children have induction sessions in the Foundation Unit. This gives them a chance to become familiar with the setting before their nursery routine begins.
Class Dojo provides a learning journal that families can access at home. Parents can comment on their child’s work and add experiences from home, making communication a two-way exchange rather than a stream of updates.
Children taking the funded full-time option bring a packed lunch unless they qualify for free school meals. Across the school, SEND support includes targeted interventions and progress recorded in a Communications Passport; more complex needs lead to a SEND Support Plan. Progress is reviewed and parents are kept informed, providing a structure for discussing support as needs develop.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions process, using Nottinghamshire County Council’s school-place application route. If Reception is oversubscribed, applications are considered against the Standard Reception Criteria. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.
Morning sessions run from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, and afternoon sessions from 12:20 pm to 3:20 pm. Full-day places are offered to families eligible for the government’s 30 hours childcare funding. Applications can be made through the nursery’s online form or by contacting school reception to complete a form.
Bring a coat, water bottle and book bag containing the reading book and diary. Friday’s PE clothing is black shorts or joggers, a white T-shirt and trainers. For enquiries, contact the office at office@northfield.notts.sch.uk or call 01623 625589.
Children are admitted in the term after turning 3. The provision caters for children aged 3 and 4.
Children can attend mornings or afternoons for 15 hours a week, or full days for 30 hours a week if their parents are eligible.
Most of the session involves outdoor learning. Children dig and plant in the garden and should wear suitable outdoor clothes with wellingtons or sturdy footwear.
Class Dojo allows parents to see learning, leave comments and contribute experiences from home. Books also go home for shared reading and storytelling.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal admissions process. Nottinghamshire County Council provides the school-place application route.
