Woodfield Nursery School

Core books, weekly forest school and two classrooms give Woodfield its character. This maintained nursery school in Brierfield caters for children aged 2 to 4, with a Nursery Room for ages 2 to 3 and a Pre School room for ages 3 to 4. The rooms accommodate a maximum of 20 and 50 children respectively per session. These are session capacities, rather than a count of children enrolled.

A sensory space and an outdoor classroom extend the learning environment. Staffing differs between the rooms: Nursery has a qualified teacher supported by teaching assistants, while Pre School has three qualified teachers alongside teaching assistants. Children have a key person in either class, giving families an initial contact as they settle.

Books provide the starting point for learning across the seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Teachers identify skills, knowledge and vocabulary linked to each core text, then plan activities indoors and outside around the book and children’s interests. For parents, this means stories connect with what children practise through play. Parent knowledge organisers extend those connections at home.

Painting, sticking and play with sand or water are part of the mix. Outdoors, children can join forest school with their key person once a week. The woodland setting gives them opportunities for practical exploration; Kanga sessions add PE focused on fundamental physical skills. Pre School children visit Brierfield Library monthly, and both classes visit Fundaland soft play once a term. A visit from nocturnal creatures brought the core text owl babies into children’s experience.

Teaching consistency. At the April 2025 inspection, Ofsted identified two weaknesses: important learning was sometimes insufficiently reinforced, and gaps in understanding went undetected and unaddressed in some areas. For families, the useful question is how staff check what a child remembers and use that information to plan the next activity.

Settling starts with an offered home visit involving the child’s key person and another staff member. An All About Me sheet records what matters to the child, and the settling plan is adapted individually. Many teaching assistants are bilingual and can support children in their home language where possible. Parents can telephone for an update after leaving a child who is upset.

Support for special educational needs and disabilities can include a Targeted Learning Plan or extra resources for a particular skill. Medical professionals help the team support long-term conditions, with appropriate staff training. This gives care planning a place alongside classroom learning. Safeguarding arrangements were effective in April 2025.

Fruit and vegetables are provided as snacks during sessions, with a voluntary contribution requested. The nursery does not provide meals because it lacks the facilities, so lunch club should not be treated as a meal service. Educational visits also carry requests for voluntary contributions.

Woodfield children move on to primary schools, with local options including Reedley Primary School, Pendle Primary Academy and Holy Trinity. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate online primary-school application; the application window for September 2027 entry runs from September 2026 to January 2027. Staff can help parents complete it.

Transition support is separate from admission. During the summer term, primary teachers and special educational needs coordinators visit Woodfield to meet children and discuss them with staff. Children attend primary-school stay-and-play sessions with their parents, and Woodfield staff can support families with school visits. These contacts help prepare children for a change of setting.

Sessions run Monday to Friday during term time. Mornings last from 8:40am to 11:40am; afternoons run from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Lunch club bridges the interval. A small number of children attend the 30-hour pattern, from 8:40am to 3:30pm including lunchtime. A Parental Agreement records each child’s hours and preferred attendance pattern.

Government-funded 15- and 30-hour places are accepted, subject to eligibility, alongside paid places. Families eligible for 15 hours can pay to extend attendance to full days or add lunch club. Contact the school for current charges.

Uniform has been expected since September 2025. Elasticated trousers and easy-fastening shoes support independence; named outdoor clothing and wellies suit muddy play. For enquiries, call 01282 614636 or email bursar@woodfield.lancs.sch.uk. Families are welcome to look around, and visits require no appointment.