Brooklands Primary School Nursery Review

Waterlily paintings provide a concrete glimpse of learning at Brooklands: at the inspection on 7 and 8 June 2023, nursery children studied famous examples before making pictures of their own. Looking leads to making. The nursery forms the F1 stage of Brooklands Primary School in Long Eaton, with learning connected to the school's wider curriculum from the outset.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning. Brooklands adapts its approach to the children it teaches and includes early years within its curriculum planning. For parents, that means nursery learning is treated as the beginning of a continuing sequence, with opportunities to return to knowledge as children grow.

Enquiry gives the learning its structure. Nursery has autumn, spring and summer enquiries, while the school's planning begins in EYFS. The school organises its termly enquiries around history in autumn, geography in spring and creative arts in summer. These provide different starting points for exploring ideas.

On 7 and 8 June 2023, Ofsted found that nursery adults encouraged experimentation and helped children use their learning: the waterlily activity linked looking at art with creating it. That is a useful example of children doing something with an idea rather than simply hearing about it.

Stories add another strand. In EYFS, Talk Through Stories develops understanding through discussion of plots, characters and the reasons for their actions. Children revisit stories across the week, giving them time to become familiar with the language and talk about what happens.

The Roost gives families a place to bring worries. Near the St Johns entrance, this room has a sofa and opens for morning drop-ins. The family support team can help with referrals, applications and contact with outside professionals; appointments can also be arranged through the office or Class Dojo. This provides a practical route into support when family circumstances affect a child.

SEND support has a dedicated contact at sendco@brooklands.derbyshire.sch.uk. Assessment and planning. In June 2023, school-wide SEND documentation was inconsistent, with occasional substantial adaptations lacking evidence of formal assessment and a jointly developed plan. Families considering additional support should keep assessment and agreed planning central to their conversations.

Brooklands operates a nut-free site, and school meals are prepared in its kitchen. For children with dietary requirements or allergies, Derbyshire County Council arranges a suitable menu following completion of a dietary form. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a promise of lunch within either nursery session.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, handled by the local authority under Derbyshire's coordinated scheme. Online, postal and telephone applications are possible. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions, and submit the later application by the deadline for the relevant intake.

Morning nursery runs from 8.30am to 11.30am; the afternoon session is 12.30pm to 3.30pm. These are distinct session windows, so family routines need to fit the appropriate collection time.

To express interest, complete the nursery's Register of Interest Form online or using its QR code. Nursery staff contact families when a place becomes available. The school office handles enquiries on 0115 9732846; general email enquiries go to enquiries@brooklands.derbyshire.sch.uk. Contact the school for current charges.