Scotholme Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Bread-making brings The Little Red Hen off the page at Mariposas, Scotholme’s nursery class. Stories become things children can act out, build and taste. This is a nursery where familiar tales give young children practical reasons to talk and join in.

Mariposas sits within Scotholme Primary and Nursery School in Hyson Green, Nottingham. As of September 2025, the nursery’s admission number was 60, divided into 30 morning and 30 afternoon places. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 10 and 11 May 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Language runs through the activities. Children have retold The Little Red Hen, learnt signs alongside its repeated phrases and made bread. Children have acted out The Gingerbread Man and repeated its story phrases, while The Three Billy Goats Gruff has led to bridge-building and children experimenting with character voices. These give children several ways into a story: speaking, making and performing.

Construction extends the storytelling. For The Three Little Pigs, children drew houses with chalk on the playground and used Lego for walls and a chimney. Goldilocks and the Three Bears brought playdough characters, house-building and porridge-making. The school uses Rocket Phonics across Foundation and Key Stage 1; the nursery examples also show language developing through shared stories and play.

The early years foundation stage, or EYFS, takes practical shape here through communication, movement, relationships and exploring the world. Autumn activities include leaf printing and collecting natural objects. Summer planting has involved filling pots, tending flowers and exploring what plants need to grow. PE uses balance apparatus and climbing activities, with attention to balance, coordination, core strength, safe movement and taking turns.

There is a dated caution about the learning space. In May 2023, work to improve the early years outdoor area was still in progress, with the aim of bringing outdoor learning up to the level of indoor learning. More recent nursery activities include outdoor group play and seasonal exploration.

Mariposas has a class teacher within the Foundation Stage team. In May 2023, early years children became familiar with routines promptly and developed their ability to concentrate and work together. For parents, that makes everyday habits part of the learning, alongside the activities themselves.

Independence gets practical attention: winter learning includes putting on outdoor clothing before going outside. Food also becomes a shared experience through cooking and tasting porridge. These are learning activities, rather than a description of a daily meal arrangement.

The school has a parent support worker and five designated safeguarding leads. Concerns about a child’s welfare can be taken to a safeguarding lead by making an appointment at school, giving families a clear route for raising worries.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority for admission to Scotholme. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process. The school works with Nottingham City Council on admissions, and the council’s school admissions service is the route for further admissions information. Familiarity with the school must be kept separate from entitlement to a place.

Morning nursery runs from 8:50 to 11:30; the afternoon session starts at 12:30 and finishes at 15:30. Those two patterns are the starting point for arranging collection and fitting nursery around family commitments.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01159781968 or email admin@scotholme.nottingham.sch.uk. Collection is normally by an approved adult aged at least 16; a sibling aged 14 or 15 may collect only with advance agreement from senior leadership.

Parking. The school has a small car park, and nearby streets require permits. Two-hour bays on Beaconsfield Street and Carver Street give families another option, but the journey needs planning around the session times.