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Nursery at The West Park Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Number hunts, picture-led storytelling and daily shared reading give Foundation One its character. This is The West Park Academy’s nursery provision on Vernon Road in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, with entry from the term following a child’s third birthday. Foundation One has 30 children in its current cohort; that is a headcount, rather than a nursery capacity figure.
The classroom is described by the nursery as spacious and bright, with play used as a route into learning. Children work with teachers and teaching assistants, combining activities they choose themselves with adult-led teaching. Early years provision received a Good judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 18 and 19 May 2022. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Choice and structure share the session. Children select activities and lead parts of their learning, while literacy, maths and phonics also have planned teaching time. Creative work and learning take place outside as well as inside. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes the maths provision: children explore ideas through ongoing activities and small-group Mastery Maths teaching, giving them both practical exploration and focused adult input.
Numbers become something children can show with their fingers or represent through marks. Shape songs, counting sides and hunts for numbers and shapes turn mathematical ideas into things to notice and discuss. In May 2022, early years children successfully identified triangles and squares together by checking their sides.
Language has equally concrete routines. Foundation One literacy centres on talking and listening, explaining drawings, discussing stories and recalling weekend experiences. Daily D.E.A.R sessions bring the class together around a text, including its pictures, vocabulary and author. Children initially take home an illustrated sequence to invent a story themselves, alongside a Reading for Pleasure book they select each week. The nursery asks families to share stories nightly.
Letters and Sounds provides the phonics framework. Its nursery starting point includes listening to surrounding sounds, songs and rhymes, helping children attend to speech before tackling more formal reading. Curriculum development. In May 2022, the revised curriculum extending from early years onwards was still being refined and was not fully established. The improvement priority was to strengthen how children retain and build on learning.
Spare clothing is part of the practical care routine: families are asked to send a change for accidents and label belongings. For additional needs, the first conversation is with the class teacher. The school’s SENCo and assistant SENCo coordinate support, with appointments arranged through the office. This gives parents a clear route for discussing concerns.
Meals are prepared daily in the school kitchen. Choices include a cooked main, filled jacket potatoes or a filled roll, with fruit or dessert. Families whose children need dietary adjustments for allergies, intolerances, religious beliefs or ethical reasons can request alternative arrangements.
Attending Foundation One does not guarantee admission to the school’s Reception class. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Nottinghamshire County Council route and meet the normal deadline. Nursery attendance is not among the oversubscription priorities: these centre on looked-after children, catchment residence and siblings, with distance used to distinguish applicants. Choosing the nursery therefore remains a separate decision from securing the next school place.
Foundation One operates in school terms. Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. Afternoon doors open at 3pm. These session boundaries matter when matching nursery attendance to work and collection arrangements.
The provision offers 15 funded hours for nursery-age children, with an extended 30-hour entitlement for qualifying working families. Paid sessions are also offered to families seeking 30 hours who do not qualify for that extended funding.
To join the waiting list, email v.phillips@westparkacademy.co.uk with the child’s name and birth date, plus the parent’s name, address and telephone number. Names can be added after the second birthday. Visits can be requested through the same email by suggesting a suitable date and time.
Places are available from the term after a child turns three. Children can join the waiting list after their second birthday.
Morning sessions are 8:30am to 11:30am, and afternoon sessions are 12:20pm to 3:20pm. Afternoon doors open from 3pm. Foundation One runs during school terms only.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Nottinghamshire County Council. Nursery attendance is not an oversubscription priority.
Initially, children bring home a book of illustrations to create their own storyline. They also choose a Reading for Pleasure book each week to share with an adult.
Email v.phillips@westparkacademy.co.uk with a date and time that would suit you.
