Ladybird Nursery at Manor Field Infant and Nursery School

Stories, new words and children’s own interests give Ladybird Nursery its character. This is the nursery class within Manor Field Infant and Nursery School on Manor Road in Long Stratton. It serves children aged three to four, with part-time and full-time attendance described in May 2025. The provision sits within an infant school, so the move towards school life begins in a school setting.

Children’s interests provide a starting point for learning. In May 2025, early-years staff helped children use new knowledge in their play and stepped in when an activity needed support. Stories and topics that caught children’s attention also helped them learn vocabulary. For a parent, the useful distinction is that play includes adult teaching, rather than being simply time to occupy children.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework for learning and care from birth to five. It brings language, movement and social development together with early reading, maths, creative expression and discovering how the world works.

Extending learning. The May 2025 early-years findings also identified a limitation: adults sometimes missed chances to take children’s understanding further during play. Some children consequently achieved less than they could. Families should weigh the interest-led learning alongside that need for more consistent challenge.

Consistency of routines. The May 2025 inspection also found that school-wide expectations were applied unevenly. This unsettled some pupils, although learning continued uninterrupted. Families should ask how nursery staff organise changes between activities and social times.

Preparation starts before nursery entry, with introductory visits arranged in the summer term. These give children an opportunity to become familiar with the setting before starting. Across the school, Nurture provision supports children who need help with settling or developing personal and social skills.

Support for special educational needs and disabilities includes nursery children. The SEND coordinator and assistant monitor their learning and progress, while an assess, plan, do and review cycle links support to changing needs. Individual Education Plans and a One Page Wonder are developed with children, parents and teachers, then reviewed each term. This gives families a role in deciding next steps.

Practical resources can include ear defenders and sensory wedge cushions, according to individual need. Children with medical needs may have an Individual Health and Care Plan developed with medical professionals and parents. Teachers can be contacted through Class Dojo, and parents receiving SEND support have review meetings to discuss provision and progress.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal Norfolk admissions process by its normal deadline. Nursery attendance is not among the priority criteria: catchment, sibling connections and distance feature in the allocation rules. Familiarity with the school should therefore be kept separate from entitlement to a place.

Introductory visits take place in the summer term before Reception entry. For children with SEND, information is passed to the next class teacher in advance, and additional visits can be arranged where appropriate. These are preparations for the change, rather than an admissions advantage.

The school and governors manage nursery admissions separately from main-school entry. For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01508 530356 or email office@manorfield.org. That provides a direct route to the team responsible for nursery applications.