Hailey Church of England Primary School Nursery

Songs, rhymes and conversation give Hailey’s nursery its clearest character: learning starts with language. Children join from age three and belong to Pegasus Class, which brings Nursery and Reception together as the school’s youngest group. That shared class is a practical point for parents considering continuity into school life.

At the Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 January 2025, early years provision was judged Good. This judgement covers the school’s early years provision, including the nursery. Nursery children benefited from purposeful adult conversation and opportunities to sing and join in with rhymes, putting spoken communication ahead of formal reading instruction.

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the emphasis includes learning to communicate, follow classroom routines and understand the world nearby. Topics about families and the local community give children familiar starting points for learning. Healthy eating, exercise and looking after teeth also form part of early years learning, connecting classroom activity with everyday habits.

Twinkl Phonics Level 1 gives the nursery’s language work a named structure. Its activities develop attentive listening, vocabulary and speech, alongside recognising sounds and breaking spoken words into smaller sounds. These are foundations for later reading: children first practise hearing and using language.

Pegasus has a writing area and a whiteboard, giving children places to experiment with marks and writing. Big Wide World is a named class topic, while PE takes place on Mondays and Thursdays. The school also has woodland on its own site for Forest School, a programme built around repeated opportunities for exploration and practical activity in a natural setting.

There is a curriculum caveat. In January 2025, some tasks in the school’s wider foundation subjects needed sharper design to help pupils retain and use key knowledge. This was a school-wide improvement requirement, rather than a finding specifically about nursery teaching.

One key worker serves all children in Pegasus Class, providing a consistent point of contact within the class team. Before starting, new children are encouraged to visit the school. Children with special educational needs may have additional visits, allowing more opportunities to become familiar with their surroundings.

Lunch is part of the nursery morning: children eat at school between noon and 12.30pm. Meals are prepared on site using fresh ingredients, including locally sourced food, with Stir Food supplying the catering from September 2025. Children can bring packed lunches instead. The school is nut free, a rule that also applies to food brought to the childcare clubs.

For SEND support, the school works with parents to agree goals and review progress, meeting families three times a year. Specialist involvement is discussed with parents first. This gives families a role in decisions about additional help, rather than leaving support entirely to school staff. Phonics homework is shared through Class Dojo, offering a direct connection between nursery learning and home.

Attending Hailey’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Oxfordshire County Council admissions route. Choosing the nursery and applying for school are separate decisions.

Nursery children already share Pegasus Class with Reception children. That provides continuity of classroom context, but it should be considered separately from the allocation of a Reception place. Children with SEND may receive extra visits when changing classes if these would help them.

For eligible families, the 15-hour offer runs from 8.45am to 12.30pm, Monday to Thursday, including lunch. The 30-hour school pattern runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm Monday to Thursday, then finishes at 12.30pm on Friday. Eligible extended funding can be used between 8am and 5.15pm, up to 30 hours, in complete sessions. Additional hours attract charges; contact the school for current charges.

Earlybirds runs from 8am to 8.45am on weekdays. After Owls operates Monday to Thursday, from 3.15pm to 5.15pm. Activities include Lego, puzzles and craft. Book After Owls through ParentPay by midnight the day before; same-day requests go through the office and incur a late booking charge. Contact the office to confirm how to book Earlybirds.

Nursery enquiries and appointments to visit can be arranged through the school office on 01993 703802 or office.3123@hailey.oxon.sch.uk.