Long Marston Church of England School Nursery Review

Storytelling and growing food give Long Marston’s nursery two distinct strands: children practise expressing themselves and learn through something tangible. There are 13 full time places for three-year-olds, within a combined nursery and Reception class. This is nursery provision taught by the school’s staff, with older early years children sharing the class rather than a separate nursery group.

The Church of England school is on Station Road in Long Marston. Its stated values are Resilience, Kindness and Respect, giving families a clear sense of the school’s intended approach to relationships.

Retelling stories is a specific part of the nursery curriculum, with an emphasis on developing ambitious language. That gives children a reason to practise vocabulary while putting a story into their own words. Growing their own food adds a practical counterpart: learning involves doing as well as talking. These are concrete examples of what nursery children work on, rather than simply a promise of preparation for school.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sits within the school’s curriculum. In March 2023, Ofsted identified early years phonics teaching and access to carefully selected books from the start of school. Phonics introduces children to sounds as part of learning to read, while the book choices introduce different cultures and writing styles.

Across the school, specialist teaching includes forest school and music. Those school-wide elements add outdoor and creative dimensions to the curriculum; the nursery’s own food-growing activity provides a specific example of practical learning for its youngest children.

An early years leader teaches the combined class alongside another member of the teaching team and support staff. The staffing structure therefore brings teaching and classroom support together within the same early years provision.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school says parents participate throughout the support process. An Inclusion Lead also holds a deputy safeguarding role. These responsibilities give inclusion a place within the school’s team structure. Hertfordshire’s Local Offer and Dacorum DSPL Area 8 provide routes to information about support beyond the school, useful for families considering their child’s wider needs.

Reception requires a separate application. Attending this nursery does not guarantee a place in the school’s Reception. Families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions process by its normal deadline, so choosing the nursery should remain a decision about the nursery experience itself.

Sharing a class with Reception children is a practical connection between the two stages. That classroom arrangement is separate from the allocation of a Reception place.

Both 30-hour and 15-hour funding are accepted. This gives families two funding structures to consider when planning attendance.

School tours and discussions about nursery attendance can be arranged through the office. For enquiries, email admin@longmarston.herts.sch.uk or telephone 01296 668386. A tour offers families an opportunity to see the school setting that includes the combined early years class.