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Nursery at Lodge Farm Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Daily singing, music-making outdoors and play with friends give Lodge Farm’s nursery its character. Called Saplings, the nursery class belongs to Lodge Farm Primary School in Stevenage. Children normally join in September after their third birthday, with morning and longer-day patterns giving families different ways to organise the week.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 29 and 30 April 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Children were confident with routines, worked independently and formed positive relationships with one another: useful foundations for a first experience of school.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate and cooperate with early mathematical understanding and creative activity. Here, imaginative play gives children opportunities to work together and solve problems. In April 2025, early years teaching developed children’s vocabulary and mathematical foundations, preparing them well for their next educational stage.
White Rose Maths Hub informs teaching from Nursery onwards, using practical objects, pictures and then abstract ideas. This gives early mathematical learning a concrete starting point. Music has a daily place too. Children sing each day and use instruments and other objects to make music inside and outside; songs and rhymes also accompany everyday routines.
Stories connect with early years topics, linking books to what children are learning. Creative work includes drawing and colour, while exploration of festivals includes Diwali and Harvest as well as Easter and Christmas. These activities bring language, creativity and understanding of other people into the nursery experience.
For children staying through lunch, the EYFS lunch period runs from 11.40am to 12.40pm. HCL provides school lunches daily. The morning-only pattern ends before this lunch period, an important distinction when choosing a session.
Starting nursery is staged. For September starters, a summer settling-in day lets children spend a morning with their teacher, sample a school dinner and share lunch and playtime with their new class. Their parents are invited to a summer meeting. Entry into Nursery is staggered. Together, these arrangements give families several points of contact before the usual routine begins.
Tapestry connects parents and staff around early years learning at home and school. WellComm adds a more specific communication tool: staff assess understanding, speech and interaction, then select activities matched to the child’s developmental stage. Parents can use corresponding activities at home, giving practice a connection with school support.
The school aims to identify SEND early, adapt learning and work with families and outside professionals. Families can contact the SEND team through the office. A Family Support Worker is based in the Den and can help with forms or making contact with organisations, offering practical support beyond classroom learning.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Lodge Farm. Parents must make a separate primary-school application later, using Hertfordshire’s school admissions route. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions.
Separate applications. A nursery place does not secure the next place. Families need to complete the Reception process even when their child already attends Saplings.
Three weekly patterns are available: five mornings from 8.30am to 11.30am, 30 hours across Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 2.30pm, or 35 hours across Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Both longer patterns require a 30-hour childcare code. The 35-hour option carries an additional charge for code-holding children staying for the full day; contact the school for current charges.
All children aged three to four have a 15-hour early education entitlement; qualifying working parents can receive a further 15 hours. Nursery visits can be arranged through admin@lodgefarm.herts.sch.uk or 01438 236600. Applications are made online.
Nursery gates open at 8.30am, with entry through the classroom door. Changes to collection arrangements require the electronic form and notification to the office. School uniform is expected, and the office can arrange access to pre-loved items. For autumn planning, Nursery finishes for Christmas on 17 December 2026.
Children normally start in September after their third birthday.
Five mornings run from 8.30am to 11.30am. The 30-hour pattern runs Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 2.30pm; the 35-hour pattern ends at 3.30pm. Both longer options require a 30-hour childcare code, and the 35-hour option has an additional charge.
September starters have a summer settling-in day and their parents are invited to a summer meeting. At the settling-in day, children can meet their teacher, try a school dinner and spend time with their new class. Entry into Nursery is staggered.
No. Parents must apply separately for a primary-school place through Hertfordshire’s school admissions route.
Yes. Email admin@lodgefarm.herts.sch.uk or call 01438 236600 to arrange an appointment.
