Micklefield School Nursery at Belton House

A separate nursery building and a choice between school-term sessions and longer days give Belton House its own identity within Micklefield School. This independent school nursery in Reigate caters for children aged two to four. At the January 2026 inspection, two Nursery classes occupied a separate building on the school site. Children therefore begin school life in a space set apart for the youngest age group.

ISI’s inspection of 27 to 29 January 2026 found that early-years children received attentive care and benefited from well-equipped learning spaces. That gives the practical arrangements substance: the nursery combines its own base with learning indoors and outside.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the starting point for planning. In parent terms, learning brings together communication, early literacy, number work and physical development. Dedicated spaces for imaginative play let children explore curriculum topics through practical activity, rather than relying solely on adult explanation.

Across the early years in January 2026, children practised speech, writing and letter sounds both outdoors and in classrooms. Songs and poems helped them become familiar with numbers and the ways numbers combine. The large outdoor area supported learning as well as movement. Running, balancing and co-ordination activities sat alongside introductions to cricket, dance and aiming at targets, giving children several ways to practise controlling their bodies.

Social learning also had a practical shape. Children took turns between activities, listened together on the carpet and discussed their ideas with teachers. A pirate shop used treasure for purchases, making exchanges tangible. The inspection’s wider recommendation was to deepen pupils’ understanding of managing money; those early-years transactions were a starting point for that learning.

Settling happens in stages. An accompanied Stay and Play visit gives children time to explore the classrooms and meet the nursery team with a parent nearby; it usually lasts up to an hour. Before starting, children can then attend up to three independent settling sessions, usually an hour each. That sequence introduces separation gradually.

Food punctuates the day in both school terms and holidays. There are snacks during the morning and afternoon, hot lunch from 11:45am and a light tea around 4:45pm. Lodestone House supplies lunch in both periods. Lunch is included in morning and day sessions, so a shorter booking still incorporates a meal.

In January 2026, early-years supervision covered meals and snacks appropriately, and staff had paediatric first-aid training. Nursery safeguarding included controls on phones and photography equipment. Children also learnt to consider their own emotions and other people’s feelings, connecting care with everyday social understanding.

For additional needs, the class teacher keeps parents involved and the special educational needs and disability co-ordinator (SENCO) can lead further assessment. Admission depends on the school being able to meet the child’s needs, alongside its education and resource conditions. Families should weigh that condition when choosing the setting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Contact school admissions to confirm the arrangements for progressing to Reception. Places depend on availability and admission requirements, with registration order used and siblings given preference.

Children intending to continue into Micklefield’s Reception receive preference when applying for Nursery, with an additional deposit required under that criterion. This is a Nursery entry arrangement, not a promise of a Reception place. Separately, children joining the main school in autumn are invited to a summer transition morning to meet their next teacher and classmates.

Term Time mornings run from 8am to 12:30pm; days finish at 3:30pm. Year Round attendance gives access from 7:30am to 6pm across approximately 47 weeks annually. The minimum booking is three mornings or two full days per week. Term Time families can add charged wraparound sessions, subject to availability; these charges do not apply to Year Round contracts. Afternoon collection for term-time children is between 3:15pm and 3:30pm, helping families coordinate sibling pickups.

Universal Funding provides 15 hours from the term after a child’s third birthday until the term they turn five. Both contracts apply three funded hours per morning across 38 weeks. Eligible Year Round families may claim the Working Parents Entitlement from age two until the term they turn five, adding three hours per day up to 30 hours weekly across those 38 weeks. They must register through Childcare Choices and supply an eligibility code within Surrey County Council’s deadlines.

Contact admissions@micklefieldschool.co.uk or use the enquiry form to arrange a personal tour. For current charges, contact financeoffice@micklefieldschool.co.uk. Leaving requires one full term’s notice, so factor that commitment into family plans.