Town Farm Primary School & Nursery: nursery review

A large climbing frame, changing role-play activities and room for sand, water and painting give Town Farm’s nursery a practical, playful character. Children aged three and four attend this school nursery, which forms part of its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) unit. Children have space to build, move and experiment alongside learning to communicate and play together.

Ofsted judged early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 11 and 12 March 2025. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separate nursery inspection. The distinction matters when weighing the nursery’s place within the school.

Play shapes the learning. Children’s interests influence activities, with time for their own choices alongside teaching and interactions with adults. The EYFS brings together learning to talk and listen, managing feelings and relationships, and physical development. Reading and writing, maths, exploring the world and creative expression extend those foundations.

Indoors and outdoors, painting, water play, sand and opportunities to make marks give children different ways to explore ideas. Construction resources come in different sizes, introducing shape, measurement and space through building. The climbing frame adds a physical challenge. Role-play changes as interests develop, creating reasons to talk, imagine and negotiate with other children.

Stories invite discussion as well as listening. In March 2025, early years children considered whether stealing could ever be acceptable while reading Jack and the Beanstalk. Familiar tales become starting points for thinking about choices. Regular rhymes and stories also supported confident communication at that time.

Social learning is equally practical. In March 2025, children in early years practised sharing toys, waiting for turns and playing with consideration for others. Nursery children learned routines and boundaries from the start, helping them understand how the group’s day works.

Four full-time staff work in the nursery, including a qualified teacher; two hold Early Educator qualifications at Level 3 or above. Every nursery staff member has training in safeguarding and paediatric first aid. Keyworkers are organised around Red, Green, Yellow and Blue groups, giving the care structure a smaller group focus.

Before children start, families receive a home visit to ease the move from home into nursery. Lunch arrangements are discussed then too. Families can choose a packed lunch or a charged school dinner; contact the school for current charges. Children on the 30-hour pattern have lunch throughout the working week. For the 15-hour patterns, Wednesday is different: morning children leave before lunch, while afternoon children eat beforehand.

Observation of everyday activities informs nursery assessment, and parents receive feedback through meetings and written reports. For additional needs, the school’s special educational needs coordinator works with families, staff and outside professionals, including speech therapists and occupational therapists. This provides a route for coordinating support around a child’s needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Surrey County Council’s admissions service, which manages applications for the governing body. Apply through that normal route by the normal deadline; choosing the nursery does not replace this step.

Transition has its own practical support. Nursery children mix with Reception children within the EYFS unit, helping them become familiar with the next stage. That contact supports the move between classes. It is separate from the allocation of school places.

Three term-time patterns structure the week. Option 1 provides 15 hours across Monday and Tuesday, from 8:45am to 3:00pm, plus Wednesday morning until 11:30am. Option 2 provides 15 hours through Wednesday afternoon, 12:30pm to 3:00pm, and Thursday and Friday, 8:45am to 3:00pm. Morning drop-off runs between 8:45am and 9:00am.

Option 3 runs Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 3:00pm. The 30-hour funding offer depends on eligibility and available spaces, and covers 38 weeks. These fixed patterns make the Wednesday split especially relevant when planning childcare around work.

Children join in September. Obtain a nursery application form from the school office, which also handles enquiries about the provision. Applications are accepted one year before the intended start.