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Nursery at Caversham Preparatory School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Forest School at Balmore Park and weekly French give Caversham Prep’s nursery a distinct place within this independent school in Caversham, Reading. Children join from age three, with play forming the basis of their learning. Morning attendance and longer days offer different ways to build a nursery week.
This is one nursery class within the school’s early years provision. In January 2026, ISI found that the early years curriculum responded to children’s needs and that staff understood children well, following their development and keeping parents informed. Those strengths sit alongside serious safety concerns that families should weigh carefully.
Play, exploration and imagination shape activities indoors and outside. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, manage feelings and move confidently, alongside early reading, number work, creativity and discovering the world. These are connected experiences rather than simply preparation for formal lessons.
Books provide a thread through the week. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one named example, with fiction and factual books used to connect different areas of learning. Show and Tell and circle time give children opportunities to practise listening, taking turns and speaking to others. The early years learning garden adds an outdoor setting for discovery.
The nursery timetable includes ICT and music, alongside French and PE each week. A Forest School outing to Balmore Park takes place fortnightly, extending learning beyond the school site. These activities bring movement, language and practical exploration into the nursery routine.
January 2026 early years findings give concrete examples of the learning: children used drawn shapes to devise stories, explained their vocabulary choices and practised splitting collections of objects into smaller groups. Story discussions developed understanding of characters and events. Outdoor activity and sensory exploration also received emphasis. Role play in the Caversham supermarket introduced coins and the different jobs of customers and shopkeepers, connecting number learning to an everyday situation.
Parents can remain with a child who needs more time to settle. Nursery teaching and care staff are qualified early years practitioners, and Learning Journals bring together observations of progress, relationships and settling. Copies are shared regularly, giving families a picture of development beyond what a child brings home.
Support for additional needs involves the SENDCo and class staff, with Individual Education Plans agreed with parents and reviewed termly. Admission remains conditional on the school being able to provide the necessary support and accommodate a child’s needs, including through reasonable adjustments. Discussing requirements before a taster visit is part of that process.
The EYFS food policy includes suggested dishes such as chickpea biryani and creamy lentil and broccoli pasta, plus hummus with vegetable fingers as a snack example. These are policy examples rather than a daily menu.
Safety and premises. The January 2026 inspection identified failures affecting early years requirements for risk management, premises and fire safety. Across the site, concerns included electrical safety, storage of cleaning materials, insufficient outdoor lighting and delayed responses to fire risk recommendations. Families should weigh these findings alongside the early years strengths and ask about completed remedial work.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer priority under the school’s admission criteria. Staff children and siblings have precedence, followed by waiting-list position and space in the relevant year group. Being familiar with the school does not replace the admission process.
Reception requires a separate application through the school’s Registrar, with a short informal readiness assessment before a formal offer. Reception offers are made in the autumn before September entry. Children are invited to familiarisation visits before starting full-time attendance; these visits help with preparation and are separate from securing a place.
Nursery begins at 8am. Morning sessions finish at noon, while children attending both sessions finish at 3.15pm. Optional aftercare extends attendance to 6pm. Bookings can combine sessions or days, with charges adjusted to the attendance pattern. The nursery describes this model as being for families registered for Reception.
Early Years Funding covers up to five term-time sessions weekly for children aged three and four, with the school applying each term and crediting the family’s account. This funding ends in the term after the child turns five. Tuition, stationery and materials are included in fees; wraparound care is an optional extra. Contact the school for current charges.
Uniform is compulsory, with Stevensons’ in Reading supplying it. Collection is by personal handover; a different collecting adult must be notified to staff and carry identification. The admissions enquiry form includes an option to arrange a visit during the school week.
Children can join from age three.
Nursery starts at 8am, with morning collection at noon and the school-day finish at 3.15pm. Optional aftercare runs until 6pm.
Yes. Parents can stay if their child needs time to feel secure in the nursery.
No. Nursery attendance gives no priority under the admission criteria. Reception has its own school admission process, including an informal readiness assessment.
The January 2026 inspection identified unmet early years requirements involving risk management, premises and fire safety. Families should ask about the remedial work completed in response.
