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Nursery at Eastrop Infant 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Long stretches of play, weekly Welly walks and a teacher leading the team give Eastrop’s nursery its character. Children aged two to four attend this school nursery in Highworth, with entry normally beginning in the term after their second or third birthday. Starts take place at the beginning of a school term, which gives families a defined point for joining.
A nursery teacher and manager works alongside early years practitioners and a learning support assistant. Staff have current DBS checks and safeguarding training. The emphasis is on learning through play, with adults helping children develop their ideas rather than filling the session with separate lessons.
Both morning and afternoon include an uninterrupted stretch of child-directed activity, called over to you time. Children choose resources indoors and outside; adults join their play to explain, demonstrate and extend conversation. Together Time brings everyone to the carpet for planned adult-led interactions. The balance gives children room to pursue an interest alongside shared learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers seven areas of development. In parent language, that means learning to communicate, manage feelings and relationships, move confidently, explore reading and writing, understand maths, investigate the world and create. Birth to Five supports the progression of skills. Planning responds to children’s interests, with books, seasons and celebrations providing starting points.
Reading has several named strands. Little Wandle Foundation Phonics introduces early sound work, while Talk for Writing helps children learn stories and retell them aloud. Dough Disco and Squiggle Wiggle develop movement and control for early writing. These activities connect language and physical development with the first steps towards literacy.
Outside, balancing and climbing equipment, balls and scooters support movement. Weekly Welly walks extend outdoor activity beyond choosing resources, and children keep named boots at nursery.
In July 2022, Ofsted identified nursery language development through stories, rhymes and songs, alongside number learning indoors and outdoors supported by mathematical conversation. The wider school curriculum needed clearer sequencing of essential knowledge and more precise checks on understanding; those concerns were not identified specifically as nursery weaknesses.
Settling begins with an hour alongside a parent or carer, followed by an hour and a half independently. Both introductory sessions are free; further settling sessions carry the full session charge. An adjusted timetable may also be agreed around the child’s needs. This makes the first separation gradual, while giving families a clear charging boundary.
Parents receive learning updates through Tapestry and can add observations from home. Arbor handles personal details, allergies, medical information and attendance, with a weekly update sent on Fridays. For nursery children needing additional support, the school may seek inclusion funding through the local authority’s Early Years Team after a graduated response, allowing extra provision to be planned.
Children staying through lunchtime bring a packed lunch, including those attending afternoons. Food from home must be nut free. Each child receives a daily snack, with a termly consumables charge outside funding. Nursery staff can administer prescribed medicines with parental consent; medicines need an in-date prescription label. Collection is restricted to known adults or someone using the correct password.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Confirm with the admissions authority whether nursery attendance confers priority for your child’s Reception entry year. Parents must make a separate application through Swindon Borough Council’s coordinated admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year. Choosing nursery therefore remains a decision about the nursery day, with a further application to plan for.
Transition support is separate from allocation. Nursery staff liaise with Reception colleagues and pass reports and agreed records to the child’s chosen or allocated school, helping the receiving team prepare for their needs.
Core provision runs in term time: mornings are 9.10am to 12.10pm, afternoons 12.10pm to 3.10pm, and full days 9.10am to 3.10pm. The minimum booking is 15 hours weekly. Families choose five mornings, five afternoons or a set pattern of two and a half days; the 30-hour pattern covers Monday to Friday. Availability depends on staffing ratios and key-worker capacity.
Universal funding for three- and four-year-olds begins the term after their third birthday and covers 15 hours weekly over 38 weeks. Some children qualify for extended hours or two-year-old funding. Ask the school for current charges, including snacks and sessions outside entitlement.
Rascals provides wraparound care from September 2026, using Eastrop’s main hall. Breakfast provision starts at 7.45am; after-school care runs from 3.10pm to 6pm. Families contact Rascals directly, and spaces depend on staffing and attendance.
Enquire at nursery@eastrop-inf.swindon.sch.uk or call 01793 763772 to arrange a tour with your child. Nursery uniform combines a royal blue jumper or cardigan, navy polo shirt and grey, black or navy bottoms. Morning doors open at 9am. Drivers should use the parking in Brewery Street.
The nursery admits children aged two to four, normally from the term after their second or third birthday. Starts are at the beginning of a school term.
Yes. Full days run from 9.10am to 3.10pm in term time. Families choose an agreed attendance pattern, with a minimum of 15 hours each week and availability subject to staffing ratios and key-worker capacity.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place. Parents apply separately through Swindon Borough Council and should confirm the nursery-attendance priority criterion for their child’s Reception entry year with the admissions authority.
Children receive a daily snack, with a termly consumables charge outside funding. Afternoon and full-day attendance include lunchtime, for which children bring a nut-free packed lunch.
Children are offered a free one-hour session with their parent or carer and a free hour-and-a-half session independently. Additional settling sessions are charged at the full session rate.
