Our Nursery offers a safe and nurturing environment where children are supported to explore and develop their interests though planned learning opportunities and high-quality interactions that engage and inspire them both inside and outside of the classroom. Our aim is to make the first experience of school exciting and memorable for all of our children where they feel safe, valued and part of our whole school community.
Our nursery provision runs from 7.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. This is possible through our joint venture with specialist nursery, Noah’s Ark. Teacher-led sessions are run by The Lea every morning. Afternoon sessions, along with breakfast and after school club are run by Noah’s Ark. This perfect partnership allows a seamless, full day of wraparound care, ideal for working parents. Noah’s Ark was rated as outstanding by Ofsted in October 2022.
We offer flexible hours and wrap around care and will work alongside you to fit in with your needs and requirements. All children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare and working families may be eligible for 30 hours. Please check your eligibility for 30 hours at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. There is also the option to ‘top up’ and pay for additional hours should you wish. We accept applications to start in the term after your child’s third birthday.
To benefit from being part of a teacher-led school setting, for those eligible for the universal 15 hours entitlement, we recommend your child attends The Lea Nursery for 5 mornings a week. For those who require additional ‘top up’ hours or are eligible for 30 hours provision, Noah’s Ark will provide these. We will always try to accommodate other day/time combinations provided spaces are available.
Nursery and school community
Our Nursery shares a brand new dedicated Early Years playground with Reception. The outdoor learning environment includes a large canopy area which enables children to play outside in all weathers, a climbing frame, mud kitchen, play sheds, race track and a great range of interactive play equipment.
Our children have regular opportunities to visit and work with the rest of the school. Wherever possible we participate in assemblies and other whole school activities which ensure a smooth transition to full-time education in our Reception class.
“My son has had a great experience at The Lea, both at the Nursery and now in Reception. I can’t express enough how great the teachers and school staff have been in developing my son’s confidence and readiness for school! My son is coming home happy and excited about what he has learnt and the friends he has played with. We especially love the forest school setting that they take part in from reception, which not all schools have available to them.” Reception Parent, 2021.
Nursery Curriculum
In Nursery, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum which supports children from birth to 5 years old. This year we are excited to be following the new Early adopter Foundation stage curriculum.
Children at The Lea Nursery learn through play and through the positive relationships and stimulating environment they are immersed in. They are encouraged to learn from their mistakes, take risks and are supported to feel confident to do this within our setting. We recognise that children develop quickly in the Early Years and believe a child’s experiences, early on, will have a major impact and shape their future life chances.
The children are taught through a mixture of Adult directed activities and child initiated learning opportunities and are questioned and supported by our team of dedicated staff who ensure the children are happy and excited to learn and are ready and prepared for the next stage of their development.
Our school values of kindness, respect, ambition and pride underpin everything we do.
Fees
Fees for Nursery and wraparound cover as follows:-
| Timings | Provision | Provider | Fee |
| 07h30 – 08h45 | The Lea | The Lea | 07h30 – 8h45 £7 incl. breakfast 08h20 – 8h45 £5 excl. breakfast |
| 08h45 – 11h45 | The Lea (teacher-led Nursery) | The Lea | Free 15/30 hour eligible |
| 11h45 – 12h30 | The Lea Lunchtime | The Lea | £5 top up per day or £25 per week |
| 12h30 – 15h20 | Noah’s Ark Nursery | Noah’s Ark | Free 15/30 hour eligible or £26 top up |
| 15h20 – 18h00 | Noah’s Ark after school care | Noah’s Ark | 15h20 – 16h15 £9 incl. snack 15h20 – 17h00 £16 incl. snack and light meal 15h20 – 18h00 £24.50 incl. snack and light meal 16h15 – 17h00 £7.50 16h15 – 18h00 £16 incl. light meal |
Note: full days and lunchtime slots exclude the cost of cooked school dinners. Children in Nursery receive a free piece of fruit/veg at snack time and free school milk. If they are staying for lunch, they can either bring a packed lunch from home or pay to have a nutritious cooked school dinner.
You will need to commit to a pattern for half a term and pay in advance, giving the office two weeks’ notice if you wish to change from one arrangement to another. You can top up your afternoon nursery hours with Noah’s Ark at any time.
We offer
- The Lea teacher-led Nursery via a dedicated team of experienced teachers who go above and beyond to create learning opportunities without limits (8:45 – 12:30)
- Full wraparound cover on site at The Lea Primary School and Nursery from 7.30am – 6pm, from Monday to Friday during school term time in partnership with private providers Noah’s Ark
- Flexible nursery hours
- Funded childcare – 15/30 free hours eligible
- Being part of a small school which nurtures and values each individual, and provides links with Reception and the wider primary school ensuring a seamless transition to Reception and school
- Large outdoor spaces including dedicated all-weather Nursery/Reception outdoor space
- Ofsted registered – the Noah’s Ark provision was rated as OUTSTANDING in October 2022
To Reserve your Place
Please see our Admissions page for details on how to apply for a Nursery place including the link to our online booking form.
To register with Noah’s Ark for use of any of the wraparound care options please contact them directly to arrange this by using this form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click this link for answers to some of the more frequently asked questions.
“The Lea Primary School and Nursery always puts the children’s and pupils’ needs and welfare first.” OFSTED 2018