Etching Hill CofE Primary Academy Nursery Review

Woodland learning gives Etching Hill’s nursery a clear character. Children can direct their play in classrooms, outdoor areas and the Woodland Nursery, with teachers and nursery practitioners supporting their discoveries. There are 52 nursery places within the primary academy in Rugeley.

The September 2026 intake was for children turning three between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. This is the school’s own nursery provision, with independence and exploration shaping its approach to early learning.

Children’s interests help determine what they learn. Pirates, underwater worlds, superheroes and fairies are examples of themes that can shape the play-based curriculum. Rather than separating discovery from learning, the nursery uses what catches children’s attention as a starting point. Children are encouraged to attempt unfamiliar challenges and make choices about their learning, with adults helping them extend those experiences.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) includes learning in the school’s own Forest School area. Here, the school aims to develop confidence, listening, communication and cooperation through experiences in a natural setting. For parents, the emphasis is on children learning to act independently while considering risks and working with others.

Forest School occupies a site at the lower end of the school field, behind a gate kept locked between sessions. Its approach combines practical activities with play and opportunities to make decisions. That gives outdoor learning a distinct physical setting, alongside the nursery’s classrooms and other outdoor spaces.

Teachers work alongside nursery practitioners, so the provision combines teaching and care roles. The nursery encourages children to become more independent while adults remain available to help them explore and learn. Across the school, inclusion is a responsibility shared by all staff, with additional learning support used when children need it.

Child protection sits within the school’s safeguarding structure, which has four designated safeguarding leads. Etching Hill also participates in Operation Encompass: after police attend a domestic abuse incident involving a child’s family, information reaches the safeguarding lead before the following school day. This enables support to respond to the child’s circumstances.

School catering is run in-house. Families are asked to keep nuts and foods containing actual nuts out of school, including peanut butter and nut-containing cereal bars. That request matters when choosing food to send with a child.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Staffordshire County Council, rather than treating nursery admission as the next school place secured.

For September 2026 entry, the application window ran from 1 November 2025 to 15 January 2026. That deadline has passed. Keeping the two applications separate is essential when planning a child’s move from nursery to school.

Enquiries can go to the school office on 01889 221864 or to office@etchinghillprimary.academy. Personal visits with a senior team member can be arranged by telephone, giving prospective parents an opportunity to ask questions and meet the school.

The school uniform combines a red polo shirt with a blue cardigan or sweatshirt, grey or black bottoms and sensible black footwear. Separate PE kit applies only from Year 1 onwards. For families preparing a nursery child’s clothing, that distinction keeps the school’s everyday uniform separate from the later PE requirement.