Burford Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Friendships and early reading give Burford’s nursery its clearest character, alongside a significant caution about teaching. In the early years, children enjoyed attending and formed friendships readily in January 2025. Their relationships with staff were positive. However, the early years provision received a Requires improvement judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 14 and 15 January 2025. That judgement covers early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The nursery belongs to Burford Primary and Nursery School on Oxclose Lane in Arnold, Nottingham. Children may start at the beginning of the term in which they turn three, allowing entry before their third birthday within that term.

Early reading has a named approach: Sounds-Write. Phonics teaching begins in F1, and the school aims to provide daily teaching. Classrooms and outdoor learning areas are intended to support this work, so the approach extends beyond books alone. Children also have access to decodable phonics books designed to match their learning.

The distinction between curriculum intentions and children’s actual learning matters here. In January 2025, early years activities sometimes failed to develop the knowledge children needed. Teaching quality was inconsistent, leaving children less prepared for their next educational stage. The required improvement was to connect activities more consistently with the intended learning. For parents, the central consideration is how an activity helps a child learn, alongside whether they enjoy taking part.

There was also a concern about checks on understanding during the school’s phonics teaching: some pupils were not receiving the support they needed. This makes the match between teaching, books and each child’s understanding an important consideration when weighing the early reading approach.

Positive adult relationships were an early years strength in January 2025. Children made friends readily and liked attending, giving families a reassuring social finding alongside the concerns about learning. The two deserve separate consideration: enjoying nursery and receiving consistently effective teaching are different parts of a child’s experience.

Safeguarding has a school team of trained designated leads, with Child Protection and Safeguarding policies supporting its work. School safeguarding arrangements were effective in January 2025. This is a school-level finding relevant to the nursery’s place within Burford, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Children do not move across automatically, and families must submit a separate application through the local authority. Treat nursery entry and Reception entry as two distinct decisions.

For September 2027 entry, the application deadline is 15 January 2027. Nottingham City Council encourages online applications; Nottingham City residents can alternatively submit a paper Common Application Form. The local authority makes the offer, so enrolling in nursery does not replace this application.

The nursery provision includes 15 funded hours a week for three-year-olds, with 30 hours for eligible families. Eligibility matters: the extended entitlement is conditional, rather than an automatic allocation for every child.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office by telephone on 0115 9151560, by email at admin@burford.nottingham.sch.uk, or in person. Burford’s school uniform policy applies to all children attending school. Everyday clothing includes a royal blue cardigan or jumper, a red polo shirt and black trousers, shorts or a skirt. Logo clothing is optional, giving parents flexibility over where they obtain uniform.