Healdswood Infants’ and Nursery School Review 2026: Forest School learning and a calm, purposeful start

What can be stated with confidence is the inspection outcome and what inspectors saw in key curriculum areas. The inspection recorded a Good overall effectiveness judgement, with Good grades across all inspected areas, including early years provision.

Curriculum substance, as described in the inspection, includes strong practice in early reading and mathematics. The report highlights pupils’ enthusiasm for reading and a mathematics curriculum where pupils develop fluent use of numbers when calculating.

A realistic, parent-useful nuance is also included in the inspection improvement points. Some subjects were still being refined at the time, with leaders needing to identify key concepts more precisely and ensure pupils revisit knowledge frequently enough to remember it securely. In other words, the core offer is secure, but a few foundation areas were still moving from intent to consistent classroom routine.

Teaching is described, through external evidence, as carefully sequenced in most subjects. Inspectors note that teachers identify what pupils need to learn and in what order, which matters at infant stage because learning builds fast, especially in phonics, early reading, and early number.

The school also publishes curriculum-facing strands that indicate how learning is organised. The site links to subject pages and curriculum initiatives including OPAL, Forest Schools, and a Curiosity Approach. Not every curriculum overview page is fully populated, but the school does host curriculum documents and topic planning that indicate structured themes and content choices.

Personal development content is presented through British Values and wider PSHE messaging, plus an explicit link between enrichment and confidence building. There is also a stated offer of after-school clubs, with specific examples available in places, such as a weekly music club.

As an infant and nursery school, the main transition points are Nursery to Reception, then Year 2 to junior provision.

The nursery admissions policy is explicit that having a nursery place does not guarantee a main school place, and that statutory school admissions for Reception must be made through the local authority process.

For later transition, the school website’s community links reference Skegby Junior Academy as a local connection, which is a useful starting point for families thinking ahead to Year 3 pathways, alongside other local options determined by address and local authority arrangements.

Reception (statutory school admission)

Admissions for Reception are coordinated by Nottinghamshire County Council for community schools, and the council publishes a clear timeline for September 2026 entry. Applications open 3 November 2025, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026.

The school’s own admissions page signposts the local authority route and also references National Offer Day on 16 April 2026, which aligns with the county timetable.

The figures show this entry route is slightly oversubscribed in the most recent cycle recorded, with 56 applications for 54 offers, and 1.04. applications per place That suggests competition exists, but not at the level seen in the tightest-catchment primaries. Families still need to treat distance and priority criteria seriously, especially in years where local demand rises.

Nursery (non-statutory early years place)

Nursery places are handled through the school’s nursery policy rather than the statutory Reception system. The published policy states a 39 place nursery class, with capacity described for morning and afternoon sessions. It also explains the typical term-of-entry pattern by date of birth, with children admitted at the start of the relevant term based on when they turn three, and parents informed of start dates during the term prior to entry.

The policy also sets expectations on transition activities, including home visits or meetings at school, and stay-and-play sessions to familiarise children and parents with staff and routines.

A practical point for parents is to plan ahead for Reception separately, even if a child is happily settled in Nursery, because Nursery attendance does not reserve or guarantee a statutory school place later.

If you are comparing options and trying to understand realistic entry odds, the FindMySchool Map Search is useful for checking how your home location relates to local admissions priorities, particularly where distance is part of the tie-break.

Safeguarding roles are clearly published, with Mrs Jayne Renshaw listed as the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Mrs Naomi Townsend as the deputy. This clarity matters in early years settings where communication between school and home is frequent and fast moving.

The inspection evidence also includes basic safety knowledge as part of pupil development, including fire drill awareness, road safety, and online safety.

One area flagged for continued focus is attendance. The inspection notes that attendance had been improving prior to the pandemic, but that a significant number of pupils were not attending as regularly as they should, and leaders needed to keep addressing this. For parents, that is a prompt to look carefully at how the school supports families with routines and barriers to daily attendance.

Outdoor learning is the most distinctive pillar. Forest School is not presented as an occasional enrichment day, but as a structured approach with practical activities and exploration, and the Nursery class page describes weekly Forest School sessions within the timetable.

Play is also treated as developmentally purposeful through OPAL, explicitly linked to time and space for children to build learning skills and agree shared expectations for play. This is often attractive to families seeking an infant setting that values self-regulation and cooperation, not just classroom table work.

On the creative side, music is described with a curriculum structure that includes listening, composing, and performing, plus a weekly music club for children who want to consolidate skills and enjoy making music.

There is also a wider community orientation, with the school signposting local youth organisations such as Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers and Cubs for families who want activities outside school.

The published school day runs 8:45am to 3:15pm, equating to 32.5 hours per week. Nursery session times are also published, including morning, afternoon, and a longer day option.

Wraparound childcare is referenced via a link to an external provider, Early Years Alliance, which the school states can provide breakfast, after-school provision, and holiday club. Exact times and booking details are not fully specified in the pages surfaced in research, so parents should confirm availability, eligibility, and session structure directly with the provider.

For travel, this is a neighbourhood infant and nursery school serving local families, so walkability and short car journeys will often shape daily routines. If you are weighing multiple nearby schools, using a precise distance checker can help you plan realistically for admissions priorities when demand rises.

• Data-light results picture. With no performance metrics available parents should use visits, curriculum information, and inspection detail to judge fit, especially around phonics, early number, and how the school supports children who need extra help.

• Curriculum consistency in a few subjects. The inspection points to some subjects where key concepts were not yet fully identified and revisited enough for secure long-term recall. Ask how this has been addressed since the inspection, and what subject leadership looks like in foundation areas.

• Attendance expectations. Attendance was highlighted as an area needing continued work. Families who anticipate health-related absences or complex routines should discuss support early, including communication systems and reintegration.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception. Nursery is a valuable entry point, but the published policy is explicit that it does not secure a main school place. Build your Reception application plan separately and on time.

Healdswood Infants’ and Nursery School offers a settled, Good-rated start with clear emphasis on early reading, number fluency, and outdoor learning, including Forest School and OPAL play. It suits families who want an infant and nursery setting that values practical, hands-on learning and structured routines, while still keeping a close eye on attendance and how foundation subjects are being strengthened over time. The challenge is not the education itself, but planning admissions early and understanding how Nursery and Reception pathways differ.