Acorns Nursery at Trinity Church School

Acorns has a clear connection to the wider school: support for additional needs begins in the nursery, with nursery leads, the special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo), parents and health visitors working together. That gives families a route to discuss developmental concerns early. Acorns Nursery belongs to Trinity Church School on Woodborough Lane in Radstock, a Church of England primary school.

Developmental milestones help shape the support children receive. Development Matters and Birth to Five statements are used to identify children who may need additional help, turning concerns about development into specific next steps.

Lunch starts at 11.50am for nursery children. This provides a fixed point within the day, alongside the attention given to each child's development.

In March 2024, Ofsted identified strong early-years provision and effective phonics teaching beginning in early years. This supports the beginnings of reading, although the finding covers early years rather than Acorns alone.

For a child needing additional support, the process starts with discussion. Nursery leads and the SENDCo involve parents and health visitors in identifying needs. Team Around the Child meetings bring families and professionals together, while SEN Support Plans track small developmental steps through an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. Parents are involved in deciding what help their child needs.

Across the school, support can involve speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and occupational therapists. The first conversation about learning concerns is with the child's class teacher; enquiries for the SENDCo can also go through the school office. These are practical routes for raising a concern and discussing possible specialist involvement.

The wider school building occupies a single level, with broad corridors and adapted toilet and changing facilities for disabled users. These physical arrangements matter for families considering access and personal care needs.

Attending Acorns does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, the deadline was midnight on 15 January; Bath and North East Somerset residents used the council's application form or online system, while other families applied through their own council.

For that cycle, children attending Acorns at the time of application had fourth priority when applications exceeded places. Looked-after and previously looked-after children, qualifying siblings and children of permanent staff ranked ahead of them. Nursery attendance therefore gave a defined admissions priority, rather than automatic transfer.

Preparation is a separate matter. Planned school visits take place in Term 6. For children with additional needs, a School Entry meeting before starting allows families to discuss support, followed by a meeting at the beginning of Term 2 to review settling and provision.

Visits can be arranged through the school office. Contact office@trinity.mnsp.org.uk or call 01761 438650 to book an appointment. An annual meeting brings together parents and carers of children entering the Nursery and Reception classes, giving families a shared opportunity to prepare for the start.

The school office also forwards enquiries to the SENDCo. Families with developmental or access concerns can use that contact route to begin a conversation alongside arranging their visit.