East Ruston Infant School & Nursery: Badgers Nursery

A classroom of its own, a separate play area and regular outings to woodland and meadow give Badgers Nursery its character. This is East Ruston Infant School & Nursery’s provision for children aged 2 to 4, with outdoor exploration alongside play indoors. Children can attend from age 2 until they begin school.

Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 14 and 15 November 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play is the starting point. Badgers follows the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, with exploration and practical problems helping children develop early skills. For parents, that means learning through what children do: communicating, moving, creating and discovering how things work, alongside developing confidence with other children.

The nursery’s own classroom and play area provide spaces for indoor and outdoor activities. Regular visits to the wooded area and meadow extend that experience beyond the classroom. Nature is part of the nursery’s routine, giving children opportunities to explore their surroundings as well as play in their own area.

Language receives careful attention. In November 2023, nursery staff talked children through their play, introducing vocabulary that children then began using themselves. This gives everyday activity a clear learning purpose: an adult’s commentary helps a child find words for actions and ideas. Early years children also practised counting objects and identifying numbers, connecting number learning to things they could handle.

Curriculum checks. In November 2023, checking how well the curriculum was being taught remained uneven across the school’s subjects. Leaders needed more precise monitoring to identify where teaching required changes. This was a school-wide improvement point relevant to oversight of the curriculum, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

Attendance. In November 2023, some pupils across the school were persistently absent and missed important learning. The school and trust needed to strengthen their systems for reducing absence. Families should recognise this as a school-wide concern.

Lunch has two options for children staying all day: a purchased hot meal brought to the site by the catering provider, or a packed lunch supplied from home. Families can therefore choose between the catered meal and familiar food from home.

Across the school and nursery, staff receive child protection and safeguarding training annually, with updates between training sessions. The school aims to support families through early intervention, advice and support. Its approach centres on relationships in which children feel able to raise concerns with adults.

Support for special educational needs involves the staff team. All staff participate in educating children with additional needs, with training for individual cases where possible. This makes inclusion a shared responsibility rather than the work of one role alone.

Attending Badgers does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process; East Ruston’s application route is Norfolk County Council. Keep that application separate from arrangements for nursery sessions.

The nursery curriculum prepares children for their next stage through play, exploration and problem-solving. That educational preparation is distinct from the allocation of a school place.

Morning sessions run from 9:00am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3:00pm. Both operate every day during term time, so the nursery timetable needs to fit around the family’s working day and school holidays.

Funding is accepted for children aged 2 and 3, subject to entitlement. Additional hours beyond a child’s funded entitlement, and sessions for children without funding, are charged. Parent-funded sessions are payable before each half term. Contact the school for current charges.

Families can register their interest in Badgers, while existing nursery families can request increased sessions. For general enquiries or an appointment with a staff member, contact the office on 01692 650225. The nursery is on School Road, East Ruston, NR12 9JD.