Abbey Hill Primary & Nursery: Nursery Review

Dough disco, story refrains and bikes give Abbey Hill’s youngest children several ways to learn: through movement, conversation and play. The early years provision belongs to Abbey Hill Primary & Nursery in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, with Pre-School in the Raindrop Room and Nursery in the Sunshine Room, within the Foundation Stage Unit.

Pre-School takes children from the term following their second birthday; Nursery starts from the term following their third birthday. These are distinct stages. Younger children practise friendships and language through shared snacks and songs, while Nursery adds group teaching, early number work and activities that prepare hands for writing.

Busy Time combines activities selected by children with those prepared by staff. Alongside this exploration, Nursery children join smaller and larger teaching groups for reading, phonics, topic learning and maths. The balance gives children time to pursue an interest as well as practise learning together.

Early years learning here connects social skills, language and physical development with the beginnings of literacy and maths. In the Sunshine Room, children practise taking turns and listening to friends. Climbing and balancing equipment, bikes and obstacle courses exercise larger muscles; threading beads, using tweezers and cutting with scissors work on smaller hand movements. Dough disco and Lycra time also prepare fingers for writing. Mark-making uses paint, chalk, sticks and crayons, giving children different ways to experiment before their marks carry a recognisable meaning.

Stories develop across the year. Little Red Riding Hood and the bear-hunt story encourage children to join repeated lines early in the year. Later, children explore the characters and imagine how a story could finish. Number Blocks supports early number understanding; Nursery aims include recognising numbers from 0–5 and independently counting five objects. There is a purpose beyond listening to a story, too: Nursery children have contributed to a shared story that became a published book and to a poetry publication with the school’s Patron of Reading.

Snack time doubles as a conversation about food. Nursery children discuss fruit and vegetables and why they eat them; in Pre-School, sharing food also supports talk about preferences and colours. Handwashing is taught with counting or a familiar rhyme to sustain the routine for 20 seconds. School meals are prepared daily on site, with Early Years children eating in the first sitting.

Language support operates within the Foundation Stage Unit. Speech and language teaching assistants provide individual or small-group help and work with speech and language therapists. Parents can raise communication concerns through Foundation Stage staff. For SEND questions, the school office provides contact with the SENCO and Inclusion Lead. Termly class newsletters connect home and nursery learning through project information, reading choices and suggestions for continuing activities together.

A separate application is essential. Attending Abbey Hill Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place, and children do not move into the main school automatically. Families must apply through Nottinghamshire County Council’s normal admissions process; the local authority sends the school-place offer. Nursery families receive instructions from the admissions team about making that application. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.

Morning sessions for both Nursery and Pre-School run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoon sessions run from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Nursery’s part-time pattern is five mornings or five afternoons, totalling fifteen hours each week. This is a regular weekly commitment rather than an occasional session arrangement.

Working parents may qualify for 30 hours of funded childcare if both partners work; the office helps check eligibility, and circumstances must be reconfirmed each term to retain the place. Enquiries go to admin@abbeyhill.notts.sch.uk or 01623484512.

For Nursery, adults remain with children in the outdoor area until classroom doors open and use that area for collection. Pre-School uses its own entrance for handover and collection. School uniform is expected, but a badge is optional; plain items and pre-loved stock provide alternatives.