Mogghill Nursery School

A covered outdoor canopy, an enclosed courtyard and access to a playing field give Mogghill Nursery School more than a classroom to work with. Based at St Benedict's School in Midsomer Norton, it combines play-led learning with practical support for children who need help communicating or settling. It has capacity for 24 children aged two to five.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Mogghill Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management. That is a dated assessment, but its detail gives families useful substance: children were considerate towards one another, mathematical ideas threaded through play, and familiar adults helped children feel secure.

The current opening pattern follows the school term, with weekday hours running from 8.45am to 3.15pm. This is a nursery to consider around a term-time family routine.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning through play, with activities adapted to children's ages and needs. Here, children choose how to use toys and creative materials, take part in music and art, and join smaller group activities that build skills for school. Choosing an activity is part of the learning: children practise making decisions rather than simply following an adult's sequence.

Communication has a concrete mechanism in Every Child A Talker (ECAT), used alongside observations and progress reports to help identify additional support needs. The programme sits within the nursery's tracking of development, giving conversations about language a place in the child's wider learning picture.

In September 2022, everyday construction became a route into mathematics. Adults introduced comparisons while children built towers, and children went on to compare other objects with their constructions. Stories, singing and new vocabulary also featured in the day. The limitation was the pace of some exchanges: adults sometimes moved on before children had enough time to formulate an answer. That matters as much as the number of activities on offer.

Outdoor and Community Life

The classroom connects to a sheltered outdoor play space, with a separate enclosed courtyard and a larger playground containing climbing apparatus. Beyond the playground are a field and garden. These different spaces allow for sheltered play, physical challenge and exploration, rather than making outdoor time depend on one type of activity.

In September 2022, children had opportunities to grow vegetables, search for wildlife and run in open space. Adults used changes in the weather as learning opportunities, drawing attention to rainfall and looking for rainbows afterwards. Nature supplied the subject matter for conversation as well as exercise.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, providing a main caregiver and a clear contact for the family. Settling can be gradual, with parents and staff discussing how separation is going. A home visit can also be arranged, allowing the key person to meet the child in familiar surroundings before nursery becomes part of their routine.

The teddy bears picnic in July brings together children joining the following year, their parents and their key people. All About Me booklets add another bridge between home and nursery: family photographs give children something familiar to share during settling. These are practical ways to start a relationship before expecting a child to manage separation.

Communication continues through a home book used weekly, or more often when needed, alongside email and text messages. A Celebration book gathers creative work, photographs, observations and assessments, making development visible through examples of what the child has done. Termly next-steps reviews and coffee mornings create time for a fuller conversation; newsletters follow each half term.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SENCO and Behaviour Coordinator help key people plan activities for children needing additional support. Individual Educational Plans can set out support at nursery and at home, with reviews used to assess its effect. Where a need is already known before admission, a pre-school entry meeting can involve professionals working with the child, helping preparations begin before their start date.

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described SEND support that included seeking outside help, working with families and adjusting staffing to children's needs. Those findings belong to that visit, rather than constituting a current guarantee.

Practical access arrangements include wheelchair accessibility, a disabled toilet, a shower and changing facilities. A visual timetable, pictorial choices and picture prompts worn by staff give children other ways to understand the day and communicate. Interpreter and translation support can be accessed through the EAL support officer when needed.

The staff structure includes key workers, a SENCO and a designated safeguarding lead; childcare and education training and first-aid training feature in staff profiles. For ongoing medical needs, a care plan can be drawn up. Medicines needed for daily wellbeing can be administered with parental instructions and permission, with families told after the session when they have been given.

Sessions and Attendance

Mogghill operates Monday to Friday during term time, opening at 8.45am and closing at 3.15pm. Its admissions policy allows attendance arrangements to respond to individual family and child needs, while the waiting list is ordered by date of birth. Neither the overall capacity nor that ordering tells a family whether a place is currently free.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 07909 461163 or by email at mogghill@aol.com. The nursery welcomes visits from prospective families.

Getting There

The nursery's address is St. Benedicts Catholic Primary School, Charlton Lane, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, BA3 4BD. Its classroom and outdoor areas are on the school site, so the nursery setting and the later school admissions decision need to be understood separately.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at the school. Families still need to use the local authority admissions process. Preparation for moving on includes visits from future teachers, visits and play days at new settings, and an individual transition plan carrying key information about each child.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2022, the nursery received early years funding for children aged two, three and four. That describes participation at the time of the visit. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Term-time routine. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm on weekdays during term time. Consider how that window fits work and school-holiday arrangements before choosing an attendance pattern.
• Time to answer. In September 2022, adults sometimes gave children too little thinking time during questions. On a visit, ask how staff now allow a child to pause, consider and respond.
• Support before starting. A known additional need can lead to a pre-school entry meeting involving existing professionals. Discuss how this would work for your child, including any medical or communication arrangements.
• Written quotation. Ask which funded entitlements and attendance arrangements apply, and how meals and non-food consumables are handled within the quotation.

Mogghill suits families seeking term-time preschool care with outdoor space, play-led learning and a clearly described route for discussing additional needs. The sheltered canopy, field and garden give the day physical variety; key-person contact and shared development books give parents something concrete to work with.

The September 2022 assessment provides a positive quality baseline, balanced by a specific teaching improvement concerning children's thinking time. For families whose routines fit the opening window, the strongest reasons to consider Mogghill are its practical settling arrangements, communication tools and preparation for moving on.