Proposed opening of Windlesham Village Infant School Nursery

We would like to open a nursery provision, managed by the school, for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years old. This would be fully integrated within our school and run by school staff. This is in response to our community and many families who have identified the need for this type of provision in our area. The proposed opening date for the nursery is January 2026.

From research already carried out, we believe that our nursery would be well-received, but we understand the importance of consulting with the whole community when there is change, to ensure we are providing what is needed and wanted. We propose offering provision to children who are funded for 15 hours under the universal funded entitlement and those eligible for 30 hours funded childcare.

As a result of the above, we propose lowering the admissions age of Windlesham Village Infant School to enable us to open a school nursery to include 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

The consultation will run for 4 school weeks (excluding school holidays), commencing on Tuesday 3rd June and ending on Monday 7th July 2025.

Responding to the consultation

If you have a child aged 3 or under, we would very much appreciate you taking the time to complete our questionnaire using this form: Parental questionnaire

If you would like to comment on our proposal to lower our age range to set up our nursery, please use this form: Lowering the age range

If you do not have nursery-aged children but wish to make your views known, please use this link: Public views

Further information

Why do we want to lower the age range of children attending Windlesham Village Infant School to 2 years old?

• We can offer quality first nursery teaching by qualified teachers.
• To impact positively on children's early development.
• To establish a smooth transition from nursery into Reception and maximise learning opportunities.
• Every child is an individual and develops at their own pace. It is essential that additional learning needs are identified early, and support put in place. The school SENCO who works closely with a range of agencies will spend time in the nursery observing children and working collaboratively with staff.
• A possible attendance pattern that the nursery may offer is based on the 2.5-day model or 30 hours. This will give parents/carers an opportunity to return to work or further education and training.
• The nursery will be part of the school community and will have access to the school's resources such as the library, sporting equipment and vast outside learning environments.

How many pupils will there be?

It is proposed that we will initially offer a total of 52 sessions* for 2, 3 and 4 year olds (although this may change depending on the needs of our community and the number of families entitled to 30 funded hours) from 1st January 2026.

*Full-time children account for 2 sessions per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

What age children will we admit?

2, 3 and 4 year olds.

What style of teaching will we use?

The teaching in the nursery will be driven by the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) and safeguarding the children will be of paramount importance. We will timetable plenty of discovery, free flow and child-led activities that incorporate a range of exploration, experimentation and opportunities for age-appropriate risk-taking. It is likely that the nursery will follow Anna Ephgrave’s scheme of work called ‘In the moment planning’. This allows for children to lead their own learning based upon their own interests.

Additional information

Will there be a negative impact on local schools and nurseries?

All local schools, nurseries and other interested clubs and groups have been informed of the nursery proposal and are invited to share their thoughts through communication with the school. As a school, we have received many enquiries regarding our proposal and the need for children to join our school from the age of three or younger.

Will there be an impact on parking and traffic in the immediate area?

Until September 2021, the school had a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 60, with capacity for 180 pupils. This reduced to a PAN of 30 in 2021, with capacity for 90 pupils.  Parking and traffic were well-managed when the school had 180 pupils. We anticipate that many of the children that will attend the nursery will be those with siblings already at Windlesham Village Infant School. If the consultation highlights traffic as an area of concern, we will employ the specialist services of a traffic consultant to help us manage this issue.

Does the school have sufficient expertise?

Yes, we believe we do. We are committed to utilising all the resources available to us to ensure the nursery meets and exceeds the expectations of all involved. We already have a team of passionate, dedicated staff in our school, and we will also be able to draw upon the expertise from the following:

• Headteacher with many years' experience leading state nurseries.
• The Alliance MultiAcademy Trust
• Local schools and nurseries
• Surrey County Council Early Years team

Is there enough time for the nursery to open in January 2026?

A timeline for opening the nursery in January 2026 has been drawn up and will be closely monitored by senior leaders, the Trust and the governing body. The Trust is experienced at implementing changes quickly, thoroughly and professionally and we are confident this is an achievable goal.

Will a child that goes to the nursery automatically get a place at Windlesham Village Infant School?

Parents of nursery-aged children will need to apply in the normal way for admission to the infant school (Reception years and older). However, it is our intention that our nursery admissions criteria will closely mirror the school's policy which will increase the likelihood of a child that attends our nursery also getting a place at our school for Reception.

What will the start and finishing time be?

This will depend on the information we gather from our questionnaires and will be decided at a later date.

Will the nursery operate before and after the school’s current hours?

At present we are hoping to get an idea of demand for an extended day from the questionnaires. Should this be something that the majority of interested parents would like, we will investigate the possibility further.

How will the nursery be accessed?

The nursery has its own access for parents and children – this will allow part-time children to enter and exit the nursery throughout the school day.

How will the nursery benefit a child when they transition to Windlesham Village Infant School?

We will have a better knowledge of the children as they move into our school. They will feel more confident being here. The big step of starting school will be a less daunting experience for children and parents alike. Any additional needs or requirements that particular children may have can be identified earlier to ensure that support is available at the earliest opportunity.