New Monument Primary Academy Nursery

An early start within a primary school shapes the nursery at New Monument Primary Academy in Maybury, Woking. The school admits children from age two, and its nursery forms part of that provision. For families choosing an introduction to school life, the distinction between the nursery experience and the later application for a school place matters from the outset.

The nursery also has a specific teaching issue to weigh. In December 2023, Ofsted identified a mismatch between some nursery activities and the learning the curriculum intended. That finding makes the connection between play, teaching and children's next steps a central consideration here.

Learning activities need to connect with what children already understand. In December 2023, nursery assessment was not being used sufficiently well to shape subsequent learning. Some activities therefore did too little to extend children's existing knowledge. The concern was about how learning developed, rather than simply whether activities took place.

There was a second, related weakness: activities sometimes departed from the planned nursery curriculum, limiting children's learning and development. Staff needed the expertise to put that curriculum into practice more consistently. Together, these findings give families a concrete focus when considering the nursery: how an activity serves a learning goal, and how adults adjust the next task to a child's progress.

Food provision across the school includes meals cooked on the premises and a menu that changes over a three-week rotation. Daily choices include two hot dishes, with a vegetarian choice among them, alongside filled rolls and jacket potatoes. These are school catering arrangements; families should distinguish them from the nursery session they are choosing.

Allergy arrangements include an Allergen Aware Menu addressing gluten, dairy and soya allergies. Staff serving as Allergen Buddies wear purple aprons and hats, and allergen information is displayed where food is served. Packed lunches must exclude both sesame seeds and nuts. That restriction matters when preparing food at home, as well as when choosing school catering.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Surrey's local-authority admissions route, following the deadline for their child's intake.

For the 2022/2023 intake, nursery attendance carried no separate priority: applications were assessed against the same admission criteria. That cycle's Reception deadline was 15 January 2022, a past date rather than a deadline for families applying now.

Transition and admission are separate matters. A July induction programme takes place before children join Reception, with parents meeting teaching staff to discuss the year ahead and share information about their child. This provides an opportunity to prepare for the change; it does not secure admission.

For 2022/2023, nursery applications went directly to the school. Contact the school office for the current nursery application process. Prospective parents can also arrange a school tour by telephone. The school is on Alpha Road, Maybury, Woking, GU22 8HA; its telephone number is 01483769302.

For children using school catering, switching between school meals and a packed lunch requires written notice two weeks beforehand. Parents can send that notice by email or letter to the office, so a change in lunchtime arrangements needs advance planning.