Highbank Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Daily Read, Write Inc phonics gives Highbank’s nursery a clear early-reading focus. This is the school’s own nursery at Winscombe Mount in Nottingham, with learning that begins before the primary years rather than a separate childcare setting. For parents, the distinctive detail is the regular introduction to sounds, alongside the expectations children learn about moving between activities.

The school describes kindness, respect and pride as its values. Those aims give families a useful starting point for understanding the wider school culture surrounding the nursery.

Read, Write Inc is taught each day in Nursery. Phonics introduces the sounds used in reading; the early-years findings from Ofsted’s inspection on 21 and 22 February 2023 described children learning sounds and beginning to combine them quickly. That gives the daily programme a practical purpose: children start building the foundations for reading.

In February 2023, children in early years also learned the adults’ expectations for behaviour quickly and moved quietly between activities. Changing activities is part of the learning here, with children practising how to respond to classroom routines as well as taking part in the activities themselves.

The early-reading improvement action was to keep the new phonics programme consistent and skilfully taught. For families, that makes the delivery of those daily sessions a useful focus, alongside the scheme’s name. The relevant question is how teaching helps a child recognise sounds and begin putting them together.

Lunch is an option for children attending Nursery full time, with a charge applying. Meals are freshly cooked on site, with vegetarian and meat choices and both cold and hot options. That provides a school-meal route for a child staying through lunchtime. Contact the school for current meal charges.

For additional needs, families can arrange an appointment with the special educational needs co-ordinator by telephone or through senco@highbank.nottingham.sch.uk. This provides a direct route for discussing a child’s needs with the relevant school role.

Safeguarding responsibilities include a designated lead and a deputy. The school says welfare concerns are discussed with parents first unless doing so could work against the child’s welfare, and information may be shared with other agencies when concerns arise. Families therefore have a clear explanation of how parental communication fits alongside child protection.

Attending Highbank’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 0115 915 2965 or admin@highbank.nottingham.sch.uk. A contact form also accepts questions. The office can be reached by telephone between 8am and 3.45pm, giving parents a defined window for speaking to the team.

For school holidays, Highbank follows Nottingham City Schools term dates. Keep that calendar alongside any nursery arrangements when planning family commitments.