Killamarsh Infant School Nursery Review

Trundle wheels outdoors, a pretend vegetable shop and songs woven into play give Killamarsh’s nursery a practical, language-rich character. This is the nursery within Killamarsh Infant School on Sheffield Road, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions. Families can choose between a shorter session and a day ending at 3pm.

At the ungraded Ofsted inspection in March 2025, the nursery curriculum stood out as a strength, and early years care received positive recognition. Children used stories and singing in their play, giving them opportunities to experiment with language as they learned.

Learning has a hands-on shape. In March 2025, children investigated measurement outside using trundle wheels and acted out selling vegetables. These are concrete ways to explore number, conversation and everyday roles through play. The Early Years curriculum also includes physical, creative, practical and social learning; science begins with exploring the surrounding world through play.

Welly Fun connects outdoor activity with storytelling. A nursery example from the 2021-2022 archive used Room On The Broom: children gathered field materials for a broom, made potions and wands, raced broomsticks and finished by reflecting together. The story supplied a reason to talk, make things and move. It also carried learning beyond the book itself.

Movement appears in the 2023-2024 nursery archive through Boogie Beebies, outdoor play and Welly Fun, with BBC Mood busters dancing added for a mental health event. These examples show how physical activity can sit alongside stories and imaginative play rather than occupy a separate corner of nursery learning.

Food is part of both care and learning. School dinners are cooked on site through Derbyshire County Council, with vegetarian choices in a rotating menu. Nursery children can have a paid school dinner; families with dietary requirements should discuss them with the school. Ask for current meal charges.

During a nursery activity in the 2024-2025 archive, children cut fruit and vegetables, arranged food pictures and talked about taste, texture and appearance. Taking turns at the snack table made food preparation a shared activity as well as a chance to try ingredients.

The pastoral team includes higher level teaching assistants who support medical and dietary needs, with a pastoral room for first aid. Basic first aid training extends to the Early Years practitioners, and two staff members have advanced paediatric first aid training. Parents should disclose allergies and medical conditions so adjustments can be planned.

Additional needs. The March 2025 inspection raised a school-wide concern that some children with SEND received unsuitable support or insufficient curriculum adaptations. This was not a nursery-specific judgement. For a child needing additional help, discussing their individual provision with the SENCO is an important part of choosing the setting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process: the school directs parents to Derbyshire County Council’s online application. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:40am to 11:45am; afternoons begin at 11:50am and finish at 3pm. The all-day option runs from 8:40am until 3pm. Those different finishing times matter when coordinating collection with other commitments.

For enquiries, contact the office on 0114 2485852 or email info@killamarsh-inf.derbyshire.sch.uk. Visits can be arranged by appointment through the office. Once a nursery place has been allocated, parents complete a new starter form, which can be downloaded, saved and returned electronically.