Hickling CofE Infants Academy Nursery Review

A vegetable garden, weekly Forest School and a class shared with Reception give Hickling’s nursery its school-based character. Pre-school children join from age three, learning alongside older children rather than in a separate nursery-only class. The early years class is called Hickling Harriers.

This is nursery provision within a Church of England infant academy on The Street in Hickling, part of the Swallowtail Federation. For families choosing this model, the defining feature is that nursery life already takes place within a school setting. That shared class is a daily arrangement, not a promise of a later school place.

Families can choose a morning, an afternoon or combine both into a full day, with sessions offered Monday to Friday. The morning runs from 8:45am to 11:45am; a full nursery day finishes at 2:45pm. This gives parents a choice between a shorter session and a day spanning both sessions.

Outdoor space gives the provision a concrete point of interest. Hickling has a field and a garden used to grow vegetables, while Forest School takes place weekly. The federation describes Forest School as concentrating on how children learn, rather than simply on the content being taught. Together, these features give outdoor learning a recurring place in school life.

The wider early years programme also includes experiences beyond the classroom. During the 2025–26 school year, scheduled early years activities included trips to Gressenhall and Wroxham Barns, plus a federation day at Catfield. These were opportunities for the early years group to encounter other places and children beyond its usual class.

Communication has several routes. Families receive a fortnightly school update, with text messages providing reminders. For a conversation with the class teacher, after school is the preferred time; urgent concerns go through the office so a staff member can respond. This separates routine conversations from matters needing prompt attention.

Lunch choices include a jacket potato, a hot meal or a school packed lunch. Paid lunches must be paid for beforehand through Parentmail. Breakfast club also provides food, including fruit, cereal and toast, giving families using that option a meal before the nursery session.

Collection arrangements require parents to tell the office or teacher when a different person will collect their child. Staff check with parents before releasing a child if that information has not been supplied. It is a practical safeguard families need to build into changes of plan.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the normal deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Sharing a class with Reception children provides familiarity with that age group during the nursery day. Keep that everyday experience separate from the allocation of a school place.

A waiting-list system operates, with families contacted in the half-term before their child is due to start about the sessions they can be offered. Nursery enquiries go to the Hickling office on 01692 598355.

Pre-school children can use breakfast club from 8am, either through their funding entitlement or as paid provision. The nursery session can also be extended to 3:20pm using funding entitlement or payment. Later wraparound options operate in term time only and finish at 4:30pm or 6pm. Contact the school for current charges.