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Nursery at Manor Lodge 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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, a nursery garden and specialist lessons in French, Music and Drama give Manor Lodge’s youngest children several ways to explore. This is the nursery within the independent school in Shenley, with its own building near the main school and a separate outdoor play area.
The nursery is described for children aged 3 to 4 who are siblings of existing pupils. Younger children can begin in the term in which they turn three. That makes the starting point more flexible than the headline age range suggests, while retaining a school-based pattern of attendance.
Children learn through termly themes that draw on their interests. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supplies the framework: language, physical development and relationships sit alongside early literacy, mathematics and creative activities. Teaching moves between individual work, small groups and the whole class, giving children different ways to take part.
Choice matters in the activities. Children have time to investigate, work at their own speed and organise their projects, including clearing them away afterwards. Stories and rhymes introduce books and language; songs, craft and drama give further opportunities to express ideas. Specialist teaching includes Outdoor Learning, French, Drama and Music.
The nursery has open indoor spaces with technology, while Forest School extends learning outside. In January 2026, ISI found that early-years staff supported progress across all seven learning areas. The practical detail is useful: Nursery children confidently sorted objects by size and worked with numbers beyond ten. Early-years planning also responded to assessments by increasing fine motor work, including junk modelling.
Outdoor play develops movement as well as curiosity. At the January 2026 inspection, early-years children used trikes, balance equipment and climbing apparatus, providing opportunities to practise coordination. Outdoor lessons provided individual adult support, giving practical learning guidance as well as space to explore.
A Getting to Know You session introduces families to their child’s teacher and key person. Parents can share information about their child’s learning and care at this session, making this a useful first conversation about individual needs. The nursery team includes teachers, early-years practitioners and a manager who also leads EYFS.
Lunch is included in the nursery’s full-time charges. In January 2026, early-years children practised independence by helping prepare snacks and serving their own lunch. Adults closely supervised eating, and children remained within an adult’s sight or hearing. Early-years staff held paediatric first-aid qualifications, with procedures for giving medicines.
Children also learn to share, take turns and settle disagreements. These are practical parts of learning to manage a group day. Toileting. Children are expected to be dry before starting nursery. Families should account for that expectation when considering the starting term.
Additional needs. The January 2026 inspection recommended more consistent classroom implementation of SEND support plans across the school. This was a school-wide concern, rather than a nursery-specific finding; families needing support should discuss how their child’s plan would translate into daily teaching.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families should make a separate Reception application through the school’s assessment registration route. For Reception entry in 2027, Assessment Day is 16 October 2026. The assessment considers communication, curiosity, confidence, creativity and collaboration, with the child’s age taken into account.
Familiarity is a separate benefit. Nursery children have opportunities during the term to meet infant staff and children, helping them become accustomed to the wider school. Those contacts support transition; they should not be treated as an admissions advantage.
Morning and afternoon sessions form the booking model. Younger starters attend at least three sessions, choosing mornings or afternoons subject to availability. In the year before Reception, the minimum becomes three full days from September, with scope to increase to five. This is a significant change in the family timetable.
Confirm current nursery session and collection times with the school. Full-time nursery charges include lunch and are adjusted proportionately for attendance below five days a week. Contact the school for current charges. Manor Lodge does not offer the 15 or 30 funded childcare hours for children aged 3 and 4; childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare are accepted for qualifying care from age three, or for children who will turn three before the end of term, until their fifth birthday.
Enquiries can go to admissions@manorlodgeschool.com or 01707 642424. Parent tours can be booked through a form or the school office, with children asked to stay at home while lessons are underway.
The nursery is described for siblings aged 3 to 4. Younger children may start in September, January or April of the term in which they turn three.
Younger children attend at least three morning or afternoon sessions, subject to availability. From September in the year before Reception, the minimum is three full days, with the possibility of increasing to five.
Lunch is included in full-time nursery charges, which are adjusted proportionately for fewer than five days a week.
The school does not offer the 15 or 30 funded hours for children aged 3 and 4. It accepts childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare for qualifying care from age three, or for children who will turn three before the end of term, until their fifth birthday.
No. Families should apply separately through the school’s Reception assessment registration route. Assessment Day for 2027 entry is 16 October 2026.
