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Nursery and Kindergarten

The best start for your child…

Funding Available

Wrap Around Care

Welcome to our ‘outstanding’ Nursery & Kindergarten where pupils thrive, with the majority of Kindergarten pupils exceeding the national Reception end-of-year learning goals.

Our nurturing family ethos provides pupils with confidence to try new things and develop a sense of independence. ISI/OFSTED reported that, “They confidently make independent choices of activity from the visual prompts provided, quietly guided by staff who are very aware of each child’s needs.”

Our Nursery and Pre-Prep area is independent from the rest of the School, which allows pupils the freedom to play, whilst feeling safe. However, they do like to explore the School grounds and facilities and our Kindergarten pupils really love their Forest School sessions.

There is also a huge choice of indoor and outdoor play equipment. Traditional toys are supplemented by computers/iPads and modern educational toys, providing pupils the variety they crave and the opportunity to work independently or together.

Encouraging support from specialist PE and Dance teachers help our youngest pupils with their movement and motor skills. They also have access to specialist equipment, Dance Studio, Sports’ Hall and our other facilities.

For children who are 2 years old, we will accept 30 hours per week offered by Hampshire County Council (HCC) for working parents. For all Local Authority funding, parents must provide an eligibility code to claim. For children who are aged 3 and 4 years old (term after 3rd birthday), we will accept the universal hours of 15 hours per week offered from HCC. We will also accept the extended 15 hours per week for working parents offered from HCC. Further criteria can be found on the Government website when you apply for the funding. You may find full details of our fees on our Fees Page.

Term-time – 8.00am – 5.00pm

Please contact Laura Legg, our Registrar, on 01425 626900 or email her at registrar@ballardschool.co.uk to find out why Ballard will be outstanding for your child.

”A huge thank you for all that you have done, both with and for our boy.”

“You have given him such a great start to his School career.”

“You do a fantastic job of helping every child to shine.”

“She loves coming to School and her confidence has grown so much, what a wonderful start to her life in school.”

Nursery And Kindergarten Fact Sheet

Young pupils love investigating, creating and building so at Ballard we feed their innate passion for STEM with plenty of opportunities and equipment to do just that.

Whether it is a giant Lego fort or using our outdoor building blocks, our pupils work independently and together to build.

Ballard Nursery pupils are also very curious; planting the first seeds of scientific investigation and asking why and how? This has been very apparent whilst at Forest School, where they love getting involved with the natural world.

They are also very at home using their computers, which have extra-large buttons for small fingers.

At Ballard, we believe in using our pupils’ innate passion for Dance, Music, Art and Drama to develop key skills including confidence, team work and controlled movement. Our Nursery and Kindergarten pupils have a wealth of opportunities in the Arts including weekly lessons from our specialist dance and music teachers. They also perform in our PAC (Performing Arts Centre) at Christmas for our nativity and in our Summer Showcase.

In the Early Years, Ballard pupils are taught by fully qualified PE staff using specialist equipment. We focus on fitness, gymnastics and core skills. Movement is such a key area at this stage as it enhances both gross mechanical movement and finer motor skills, which are essential to child development.

We therefore spend a large proportion of time working as a group and individually to ensure that the correct foundations are laid for all future sports – especially catching and running, which many children find tricky.

One child who had poor co-ordination in Kindergarten is now in the Year 4 hockey team – so it is worth starting early.

Life is full of fun, curiosity and learning. Our family ethos, alongside the passionate and caring staff, give pupils the courage to be independent and try new things, which is so essential to their development. Whether reading their favourite book or writing their name on the outside chalk board, Ballard pupils are keen to learn.

There are many indoor and outdoor opportunities for pupils at Ballard and they thrive on the variety. We have extensive facilities that enable us to offer wonderful, diverse educational opportunities. They love exploring the grounds and regularly hunt for insects and flowers. Forest School is particularly popular with even the smallest child getting ‘stuck in’ by creating their own bird feeders containing a tasty seed mix treat for our garden friends or making a den. Our youngest pupils even get to cook in the Pre-Prep kitchen.