Springfields First School Nursery Review

Weekly Forest School and Mini-Movers give Springfields Pre-school a clear outdoor and movement focus alongside daily early learning. This is the school's provision for three and four year olds in Yarnfield, Stone, with capacity for up to 26 children in each morning and afternoon session.

Since September 2026, nursery children and Reception children have been brought together in an Early Years Unit housed in a mobile classroom. That shared setting is a practical feature of the nursery experience. It does not secure admission to the school. Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 7 and 8 March 2023; that judgement predates the new arrangement.

Play combines adult direction with children's own choices. Staff organise focused activities, while children also have time to select what they want to do. Adults watch their interests and adapt learning around them, giving children's choices a role in planning rather than treating play as a break between lessons.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers seven connected areas: language and communication, physical skills, emotional and social development, literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. In parent terms, the day brings together learning to talk, play with others, move, make things and explore early reading and number. Daily focused work includes phonics, literacy and maths; Numicon and White Rose are used for EYFS mathematics.

Outdoor play is a daily opportunity. Forest School takes place weekly in the school grounds, and Mini-Movers adds a weekly session with a coach. Pre-school children also participate in Fitness Friday. These named activities give movement several places in the timetable, alongside the quieter concentration of early literacy and maths.

In March 2023, early-years learning included exploring ways to attach materials to one another. Stories, songs and rhymes were also part of children's experience from their start in pre-school. These are concrete examples of practical making and listening, both useful foundations for later learning.

The pre-school team includes a teaching assistant and a senior play worker. Preparation for starting includes an All About Me questionnaire and resources to help families prepare their child. The questionnaire gives parents a structured opportunity to introduce their child before the nursery experience begins.

Pre-school children have coaching groups of their own. Springfields uses its coaching approach to support relationships and give children opportunities to express themselves. For a young child, this places conversation and belonging alongside the learning activities.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Staffordshire's online admissions service, with a mid-January closing date. Plan for that application even when your child already attends Springfields.

Sharing the Early Years Unit brings nursery and Reception children into the same setting. Nursery children also develop relationships with the wider staff team and with one another before moving on. That familiarity can help with the change of stage; it is separate from the decision about admission.

Morning and afternoon places are offered, and families register by returning application forms to the school office. When every session is full, a waiting list operates. Think about the session pattern you need when enquiring.

Funding includes 15-hour childcare places and up to 30 hours depending on eligibility. Contact the office to arrange a visit and discuss registration. It can be reached on 01785 337310 or at admin@springfields-first.staffs.sch.uk. For current charges, contact the school directly.