Chandlers Field Primary Academy Nursery Review

Mud-kitchen potions, creature spotting at forest school and a story to finish: play gives Chandlers Field’s nursery day its character. This is the nursery within Chandlers Field Primary Academy in West Molesey, with its own outdoor learning area and a choice of morning, afternoon or all-day attendance. Families can choose a shorter session or a longer nursery day.

Children can first be considered for entry at the start of the term following their third birthday. Nursery provision has class teachers and teaching assistants, placing teaching and day-to-day support within the nursery team.

Choice comes early in the routine. Children select activities such as construction, art or pretend play, with storytelling also part of the mix. That gives them different ways to participate: making something, taking a role or exploring an idea through a story. Indoor play is complemented by the mud kitchen and forest school, where children observe living creatures. There is room for both imagination and investigation.

Group time changes the pace. Songs and shared stories sit alongside work with sounds and numbers, plus conversation about the world. The curriculum uses the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, the educational stage covering birth through the end of Reception. Here, the nursery routine combines play children choose with opportunities to talk, listen and explore early number ideas together.

Outside, children build, dig and practise balancing, as well as running and exploring nature. Outdoor activity continues in wet weather too, making movement part of the day rather than an occasional addition. A closing story brings the group back together, with children sharing discoveries and things they feel proud of before home time.

Teachers help children organise their belongings as part of settling into the daily routine. Snack time brings fruit, milk and vegetables, while children practise pouring drinks and clearing up afterwards. These small jobs make everyday care a chance to practise independence alongside eating with friends.

For additional needs, the class teacher is the first contact for parents. The school uses an assess, plan, do and review cycle, with support reviewed alongside families’ views. Possible classroom adjustments include visual prompts showing what happens next, extra time to process information and individual workspaces where needed. These are school-wide arrangements; support depends on the child’s needs. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology may also be involved, giving families a route to specialist input when appropriate.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Every child needs a separate Reception application, whatever their previous preschool experience, through Surrey County Council’s school admissions route. The local authority sends offers directly to families. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions, and apply again by the normal deadline for your child’s intake.

Children are offered a school visit before starting Reception. That provides an opportunity for familiarisation, separate from the allocation of places.

Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons are 12:30pm to 3:30pm. All-day attendance runs from 8:45am to 3:30pm. Nursery breakfast and after-school provision extend care beyond standard hours, which may help families fitting childcare around work.

Funding covers 15 hours each week from the term following a child’s third birthday. Working parents with three- or four-year-olds may qualify for another 15 hours. Eligible government-funded hours and childcare vouchers are accepted. Contact the school for current charges.

Nursery enquiries and tour arrangements go through the office on 020 8224 4731 or cdfoffice@leoacademytrust.co.uk. An online nursery application form is also offered. Personal school tours run throughout the year, giving families a practical opportunity to explore the nursery before applying.