Ramsden Primary School Nursery Review

Mud pies, woodland learning and helping with animal care give Ramsden’s early years provision a practical character. Little Red Ramsden Hoods Nursery takes children from age 3, with morning, afternoon and all-day options. It is the nursery at Ramsden Primary School in Carlton-in-Lindrick, rather than a separate childcare setting.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 10 and 11 May 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The nursery serves children aged 3 to 4, putting the emphasis here on their first experiences of learning together.

Outdoor activity gives the clearest picture of the learning. In May 2023, early years children were absorbed in their activities and collaborated over mud-kitchen play and rabbit-hutch cleaning. These are practical opportunities to share a task and take responsibility, rather than simply watch an adult demonstrate it.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) learning described here includes cooperation, practical exploration and work with words. Woodland word searches were another example in May 2023. These examples concern early years collectively, so they should not be read as a timetable of activities for every nursery child.

The wider school grounds include a woodland, a bird hide and an outdoor classroom. A treehouse classroom and an amphitheatre add further spaces for learning outdoors. These are school facilities, while the mud kitchen and woodland activities provide the direct early years examples. For a family drawn to learning through practical tasks, those examples are the nursery’s most distinctive feature.

Seesaw connects families with classroom learning through an online journal. Teachers can share photographs, videos and achievements, and its messaging function supports contact with parents. This gives families a way to talk about learning at home using something concrete their child has done.

School-level support includes a SENCO and an emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA). The ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant whose training and regular supervision come from local authority educational psychologists. Support can address anxiety, friendships, emotions and bereavement. Ramsden’s SEND Local Offer covers identifying needs, supporting children and monitoring provision.

Nursery children under 5 can receive free milk, but parents must register with Cool Milk. Registration is an important practical step: the age entitlement alone does not arrange the milk.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Monday to Friday, the morning session runs from 8:20am to 11:20am and the afternoon from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. The all-day option runs from 8:20am to 3:20pm and is linked to the 30-hour entitlement. For family planning, the gap between the two shorter sessions matters as much as their start times.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office: call 01909 730408 or email ramsden.office@ramsden.notts.sch.uk. Contact the school for current charges. Ramsden also welcomes visits, giving families an opportunity to see the setting before making their choice.