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Nursery at Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
An outdoor classroom used as much as the indoor space gives Wheatfields Nursery its defining feature: learning does not stop at the classroom door. This is the nursery within Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School on Downes Road, St Albans. Children can join from the term after their third birthday. A teacher leads the provision, supported by Early Years Practitioners, combining a teaching role with a team focused on early childhood.
Play shapes the learning. Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), children explore alone, with other children or with an adult supporting them. In parent terms, that means opportunities to try things independently alongside guided learning. Time to become familiar with classmates and classroom routines is part of the approach.
Outside space is part of the classroom rather than a scheduled break destination: early years has no fixed playtime. Indoors, each classroom has an interactive whiteboard and a visualiser. Nursery children also experiment with iPads and technological toys, watching what changes when they act. Patterns and sequences introduce computing ideas through activities that can happen away from a screen.
Early writing begins with speaking. Adults help children form sentences aloud before they move into making marks and recording letter sounds. This makes room for expressing an idea before managing its written form. In January 2025, Ofsted judged early years provision Good, a judgement covering the school's early years rather than a separate nursery inspection. Writing was a strength, but learning goals needed greater precision: staff lacked sufficiently specific checkpoints for assessing knowledge and deciding the next teaching steps. Some children consequently made less progress than they could.
Settling has both time and relationships behind it. Children have space to learn the routines and get to know their peers; in January 2025, staff kindness helped children adjust quickly to Nursery. Parents can pass a brief message to teachers at the classroom door and arrange a separate appointment for a fuller conversation, keeping everyday communication practical.
For children needing additional help, the school's SEND provision includes language support through Wellcom, Attention Autism bucket time and sensory diets. The Woodlands sensory room provides a named physical space for this work. These are school support arrangements, with the SENCO accessible through the office.
Food is part of the extended day at Treetops. Breakfast choices include toast, cereals and bacon sandwiches, with milk and fruit juice; children needing breakfast must be there by 8.15am. After school, a sandwich-style snack is served. Children must not bring their own food because some attending children have food allergies.
A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application, and Hertfordshire administers the process. Hertfordshire residents can apply through the county council's online admissions system; the deadline for September 2027 entry is 15 January 2027.
Treat the two applications as separate decisions. Familiarity with the nursery does not replace the Reception application, so families need to plan for that deadline even while their child is attending Wheatfields.
Morning sessions run from 8.40am to 11.40am; afternoons run from 12.20pm to 3.20pm. The 15-hour choices are five mornings, full days on Monday and Tuesday plus Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon plus full days on Thursday and Friday. A 30-hour pattern runs Monday to Friday. Depending on attendance pattern, the nursery day ends at 2.40pm or 3.20pm.
Funding covers 15 hours over 38 weeks, with 30 hours possible for eligible working families. Eligibility for the latter must be reconfirmed every three months using an 11-digit code. Full days within the split-week 15-hour patterns include charged lunch clubs beyond that entitlement; the 30-hour option also carries a charge for its final session beyond funded hours. Contact the school for current charges.
Treetops accepts nursery children during term time, with breakfast care from 7.30am to 8.50am and after-school care from 3.10pm to 6.00pm. Book ahead through Arbor Parent Portal; sessions can vary between weeks. Nursery drop-off and collection take place at the classroom door.
For enquiries or November nursery tours, contact the office on 01727 859978 or admin@wheatfieldsinfants.aetrust.uk. Tours normally take about 40 minutes.
Children can start in the term after turning three. Contact the school office about availability.
The choices are five mornings, a beginning-of-week or end-of-week split pattern totalling 15 hours, or a 30-hour Monday-to-Friday pattern.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 15 January 2027.
Yes. Treetops takes nursery children during term time, with sessions booked in advance through Arbor Parent Portal.
Contact the school office on 01727 859978 or admin@wheatfieldsinfants.aetrust.uk to book a November nursery tour. It normally lasts about 40 minutes.
