Arnold View Primary School Nursery Review

Sand, water and a home corner give Fireflies its character: this is a nursery built around play, conversation and forming friendships. Fireflies is Arnold View Primary School’s F1 provision on Gedling Road in Arnold. Children can join from the term after their third birthday, with entry points in September, January and Easter.

The nursery places communication and relationships alongside learning through play. For parents, the appeal is a school start with room to explore: an indoor classroom and an outdoor classroom, rather than learning confined to tables.

A reading area sits alongside spaces for maths, water and sand, while the home corner provides a setting for pretend play. These different areas give children several ways into learning, from sharing a book to experimenting with materials. The nursery aims to extend those experiences through cookery, themed days and outdoor learning.

Topics include Animal Antics, Fantasy Island and Food glorious food. Maths and literacy are woven into the topics alongside the other curriculum areas, so learning connects with a shared theme. This is the early years foundation stage (EYFS) in practical terms here: developing communication and relationships through play, while introducing early reading, writing and mathematical learning.

Read, Write, Inc begins in F1. Phonics is taught daily in small groups matched to children’s understanding, with early work on letter sounds and hearing how sounds combine in spoken words. Library books change on Mondays and Thursdays, giving families a regular opportunity to share reading at home.

Tuesday mornings include forest school; Thursday is the PE day. Weather-appropriate clothing and wellies matter for forest school, while suitable clothes are needed for PE. Outdoor exploration also has a language purpose: in December 2023, early-years children investigated ice and used scientific vocabulary about melting and freezing. Nursery singing included Wind the Bobbin Up, with listening and rhyme helping prepare children for reading.

Language development and concentration stand out in the December 2023 early-years findings: adults’ questions built vocabulary, while children sustained their attention when learning independently. They also adapted quickly to classroom routines. That links care with the nursery’s emphasis on communication: becoming comfortable with routines also creates space to concentrate and participate.

For SEND queries, parents can contact the school’s special educational needs coordinator through the office by telephone or email. This gives families a direct route to discuss additional needs. A lunch club runs between the morning and afternoon sessions, providing a separate lunchtime option.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local-authority process and meet its deadline. Nottinghamshire County Council is the contact for full-time school admission arrangements; nursery enquiries go directly to Arnold View. Treat these as two distinct applications when planning your child’s next step.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoons run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Lunch club covers 11.45am to 12.30pm. The nursery offers funded places for families eligible for 15 or 30 hours. Families without entitlement to 30 hours can purchase additional sessions; ask the school for current charges, including lunch club.

To enquire or book a nursery tour, call 0115 9560967. Application forms can be emailed to office@arnoldview.notts.sch.uk or taken to the office. Nursery allocation is first come, first served: returning the form places the child on the waiting list, with confirmation sent in writing.