The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Nursery at Farndon Fields Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 purpose-built preschool with its own outdoor play space and a day stretching from 7:30am to 6pm: Mini Oaks combines a separate setting with links to the early years classes at Farndon Fields Primary School. It serves three- and four-year-olds in Market Harborough. For families balancing preschool education with a working day, the long opening hours are a decisive practical feature.
Since August 2026, the preschool has operated for 51 weeks a year. Short morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside full days, giving families distinct ways to organise attendance.
Play and creativity are the preschool’s chosen starting points. Mini Oaks aims to help children develop socially and emotionally through work shared with parents. Mini Oaks aims for children to learn through direct experience. Its purpose-built indoor setting is self-contained, with an outdoor play facility providing space for imaginative and creative play.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning described in May 2023 connects language, early mathematics, reasoning and the small hand movements needed for writing. Children discussed food they had grown and demonstrated writing they had produced themselves. Those examples make the learning tangible: talking about growing food gives vocabulary a real subject, while writing offers a way to use developing hand control.
In May 2023, Ofsted also found that preschool children practised sounds before beginning to learn to read in Reception. That gives early literacy a clear place within the preschool experience. These findings concern the school’s early years provision; they are not a separate nursery grade.
Breakfast, tea and a snack are included, while a hot lunch is available in school term time. That term-time condition matters for families using the preschool across the year: the lunch arrangement differs from the meals included as standard.
Working with families is part of the practitioners’ stated approach to supporting development. The preschool aims to recognise each child’s individual abilities. Its emphasis on social and emotional skills gives that partnership a practical focus beyond early reading and number work.
Attending Mini Oaks does not guarantee a Reception place at Farndon Fields. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s intake. Preschool attendance and school admission are separate decisions.
Links with the school’s early years classes provide an educational connection. Keep that connection distinct from the allocation of a school place.
Full days run from 07:30 to 18:00; morning sessions are 08:30 to 11:30, and afternoon sessions are 12:30 to 15:30. To join the waiting list, email the preschool or school office. The office can also be reached on 01858 464744.
Funding covers 15 hours a week for all three- and four-year-olds, or 30 hours for eligible working families, with arrangements over 38 or 51 weeks. Spreading the entitlement across 51 weeks reduces the weekly allocation to 11.17 or 22.35 hours respectively.
Charges beyond funding. Funded hours have limits and do not cover every cost. Fees are payable monthly in advance under the preschool contract, so families should obtain current charges from the school when planning attendance.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s intake.
Full days run from 07:30 to 18:00, mornings from 08:30 to 11:30 and afternoons from 12:30 to 15:30.
Yes. Since August 2026, Mini Oaks has operated for 51 weeks a year, allowing attendance beyond school terms.
Breakfast, snack and tea are included. Hot lunches are available during school term time, an important distinction for families booking across the year.
Email the preschool or school office to request a place on the waiting list. The office telephone number is 01858 464744.
