Ashtree Primary Academy Nursery Review

Storytelling, practical number work and learning to take turns give Ashtree’s nursery its shape. This is the nursery class within Ashtree Primary Academy on Chertsey Rise in Stevenage, with 26 morning places and 26 afternoon places. Most children join in September during the school year in which they turn four. For 2024/2025, eligibility began in the term following the third birthday.

Families have a choice between morning and afternoon attendance, with a longer pattern for those eligible for 30 hours. The academy has no Ofsted graded rating yet.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects early reading and maths with movement, relationships and creative exploration. Its seven learning areas mean the nursery day covers more than preparation for reading: children practise expressing feelings, listening, sharing and understanding other people, alongside developing physical control and imagination.

Language has a clear place in that mix. Stories are read and told, while classroom signs and labels bring written words into children’s surroundings. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds supports reading and phonics from Nursery onwards. Ashtree aims to broaden children’s vocabulary and help them communicate, giving language a purpose across their activities.

Numbers are approached through practical tasks, including sorting, matching and putting things into sequences. Children also investigate patterns and changes in the natural and made world. Physical learning uses both outdoor and indoor environments, with attention to movement, handling skills and awareness of space. Creative activities give children ways to communicate their ideas and feelings beyond words.

For 2024/2025, settling arrangements included a staggered first week and home visits from June before children began. Nursery staffing includes an early years teaching assistant. Across the school, the class teacher is the main connection between home and school for children’s wellbeing.

For 2024/2025, children attending the 30-hour pattern had a lunch choice: a packed lunch supplied by the family or a charged school packed lunch. The lunch period was 11:45am to 12:30pm. An optional paid lunch session also covered that interval for families using shorter sessions. Ask the office about current lunch arrangements.

For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school uses a cycle of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing it. Available approaches include social stories, visual timetables and speech and language groups. SEND progress reports are termly, with three parent meetings a year to discuss outcomes and support. These arrangements give families a recurring opportunity to shape the help their child receives.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through the normal Hertfordshire County Council admissions process by the applicable deadline. For September 2027 entry, nursery attendance gives no priority: allocation criteria cover care status, medical or social needs, siblings, the nearest school and distance.

Support for change is a separate matter. For children with SEND, teachers share information between classes; where possible, children spend lesson time with their next teacher towards the summer term’s end. Additional preparation can include social stories and extra time with that teacher. Familiarity helps prepare a child for change, but it does not determine admission.

The 15-hour choices run each weekday during term time: mornings from 8:45am to 11:45am, or afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Eligible families using 30 hours attend from 8:45am to 3:30pm Monday to Thursday, finishing at 11:45am on Friday. That shorter Friday needs its own childcare planning.

Additional hours can be discussed with the school office, which handles nursery applications directly. Parents return a completed application form to the office, and session preferences are subject to allocation. Contact 01438 351090 or enquiries@Ashtree.futureacademies.org for enquiries and current charges. School tours can be booked online or through the office and take around 20–30 minutes.