Mowden Hall School Nursery Review

Choosing an activity, trying it out and thinking about what happened gives Mowden Hall’s early years a distinctive rhythm. Weekly Plan, Do, Review sessions put children’s decisions into the learning process. There is physical challenge too, with outdoor climbing equipment giving children opportunities to test their coordination and persistence.

The nursery caters for ages two to four within Mowden Hall School in Newton, Stocksfield. The Nest serves two-year-olds, while Treetops is the three-year-old class. At the ISI inspection of 4 to 6 November 2025, the nursery comprised two classes. This is school-attached provision, with its own early years team.

Talking, moving and learning to get along shape the early years curriculum. In November 2025, teaching developed language, coordination and emotional understanding through active learning. Adults extended children’s vocabulary with questions that invited more than a short answer. For parents, that means conversation forms part of learning, alongside practical activity.

Plan, Do, Review gives children practice in making choices and reflecting afterwards. Stories and role play help them recognise emotions before they learn ways to handle disagreements and ask an adult for help. Jigsaw PSHE runs from the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards, bringing personal and social learning together with reflection and mindfulness. These are everyday skills: expressing a feeling, taking a turn and explaining an idea.

Outdoor learning develops both small movements and whole-body coordination. Climbing equipment offers a concrete challenge, including working towards its highest platform. Early years children also take part in swimming and organised sport. Resources support pretend play and early reading skills, so activity moves between physical exploration, imagination and language.

The Nest’s staffing structure includes a nursery manager, an assistant manager and a key worker; Treetops has a class teacher who also leads early years. Progress is shared with parents through an online system and formal reports. That gives families a continuing picture of learning beyond the activities their child remembers to describe.

Food is cooked on site, with snacks and fruit offered during the morning and afternoon. Breakfast and lunch take place in the dining room, where staff serve children and eat alongside them. After School Club includes tea, followed by opportunities to draw, colour and play. Meals therefore form part of the social day as well as the care routine.

Early years has a designated safeguarding leader, and staff receive paediatric first-aid training. The school’s SEND department supports staff and children across the school, with individual learning passports and additional help where applicable. Families whose child already has an identified special educational need or disability submit relevant reports during admission, so those needs can be considered before entry.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Treat Reception as a separate application: families apply again through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline. Learning to choose activities, communicate feelings and seek help supports preparation for the next stage; it does not establish an admissions advantage.

The nursery day runs from 8.00am to 3.45pm, with registration at 8.30am. Early Bird Breakfast Club starts at 7.30am, and After School Club runs from 3.45pm until 6.00pm. The latter allows flexible collection and can be booked ahead or on the day, subject to availability, with an additional charge for attendance. This extends the care window for families needing a longer day.

All-year-round provision operates in The Nest. For 2025/26, nursery booking options included five full days, mornings with lunch, afternoons and ad hoc sessions; additional nursery hours were billed afterwards. Ask the school for current charges. Enquiries and personal visits can be arranged through admissions@mowdenhall.org.uk or 01661 842147. Stevensons supplies school uniform, and second-hand items can be requested through the school office.