Gifford Primary School Nursery Review

Storybook house-building gives Gifford’s early years a practical character: children have used natural materials in forest school to turn the Three Little Pigs into a shared construction challenge. Stories become things to make and problems to solve.

The nursery belongs to Gifford Primary School in Northolt. Children can start in the term following their third birthday, subject to vacancies. There are 26 full-time places and 52 part-time places, giving families a choice between a longer day and shorter sessions. At the school’s inspection on 8 and 9 May 2024, Ofsted rated early years provision Outstanding. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Morning and afternoon sessions each last three hours. For full-time children, lunch sits between the two, making the day a combination of learning sessions and a supervised midday break.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) includes Expressive Arts and Design: here, children investigate texture and colour, choose classroom art materials for their own creations and receive adult guidance too. Natural materials also feature in this work. The combination gives children opportunities to make choices while learning how to use materials.

Outdoors, forest school connects storytelling with practical activity. In May 2024, early years children collaborated on houses inspired by the Three Little Pigs and devised a wolf trap. That example brings construction, imagination and working together into the same activity. Children in early years also became familiar with routines quickly and participated with concentration and enthusiasm. Phonics starts within early years, introducing the links between sounds and written letters.

Settling starts with contact before the first session. The EYFS programme includes a Welcome Workshop for parents to meet staff, Stay and Play in the new classroom, and a Home Visit that allows private discussion of a child’s needs. An EYFS Coffee Morning follows once children have started. These create several opportunities for families and staff to get acquainted.

Additional visits and meetings involving different professionals can be arranged where needed. The school has a sensory room for children with sensory needs, and its SEND arrangements include a coordinator and assistant. SEND parent coffee mornings and afternoons give families opportunities to exchange support. These are school-wide resources, with individual needs discussed through the support team.

Full-time nursery children can bring lunch from home or have a school meal for an additional charge. Lunch supervision is charged separately, including for children receiving the funded 30-hour place. Families therefore need to plan for the midday arrangements as well as the learning sessions.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Under Ealing’s community-school arrangements for 2025/26, attending the nursery did not confer admissions priority: the oversubscription criteria covered care status, siblings in the main school and distance, following allocation to children whose Education, Health and Care Plan named the school.

Parents must make a separate Reception application through the council where they live. For September 2025 entry, Ealing’s application deadline was 15 January 2025, with online applications through eAdmissions. Families applying for a later intake should follow their home council’s normal application timetable.

Classroom familiarity is a separate matter. The school’s SEND transition arrangements include visits to the next classroom, opportunities to meet the next teacher where possible, and sharing support plans in advance. These help prepare children for a change of class; they do not alter admissions rights.

All nursery sessions run during term time. Mornings are 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. The full-time pattern runs Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3:20pm, with lunch from 11:30am to 12:20pm. The 30-hour pattern requires attendance across the sessions and cannot be booked flexibly.

Eligible families must obtain a funding code and send it to the school. Full-time attendance attracts an additional charge for families initially ineligible for 30-hour funding or awaiting their code; this stops once the school receives the code. Families who subsequently lose eligibility must notify the school; funding continues until the end of that school term, after which charges apply. Late collection and late payment also attract charges. Contact the school for current charges.

Applications can be completed online or on paper from the office, then returned to the office or admissions@gifford.ealing.sch.uk. Children must be toilet trained before attending. Discuss this entry requirement alongside your child’s support needs when applying.