All Saints Nursery, Bexhill

Weekly Helicopter Story sessions, Forest School and balance-ability give All Saints Nursery a recognisable mix of storytelling and movement. This is the on-site nursery at All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill, for children aged two to four. A smaller playroom and a larger playroom provide distinct spaces, with staff supporting children as they move between them.

The team includes a nursery teacher with qualified teacher status, a deputy manager who leads provision for two-year-olds, and room leads for older nursery children. That structure gives the youngest children their own staff focus while keeping transition within the nursery part of the team's work.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects children's learning with their development and care. Here, its principles emphasise individual interests, relationships with adults and learning spaces that respond to children's progress. In parent language, play, conversation and physical activity work together, rather than learning being confined to formal teaching.

Language has several named strands. Helicopter Story sessions take place weekly, while Early Talk is the nursery's communication and language programme. Supersonic Phonic Friends begins in nursery with Firm Foundations: children distinguish sounds around them, explore percussion and listen for rhyme. The focus is on hearing and using language, giving children foundations for later reading.

Movement also has a regular place. The outdoor lead runs weekly Forest School and balance-ability sessions and holds a Level 2 Forest School qualification. Messy play, creative art and activities involving pencil control sit alongside that physical work, giving children different ways to practise using their hands and expressing ideas.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that early-years staff developed children's language through stories and rhymes, and brought counting and reading into their games. Children also practised waiting, sharing and agreeing how games would work. These are everyday skills with an immediate purpose: helping children join in play with others.

Settling has a staff lead: the deputy nursery manager supports families as children begin and coordinates Integrated Progress Reviews. The nursery's EYFS guidance also invites parents to contribute to topics and activities, connecting learning at home with what children explore in the setting.

A nursery SENCO works with families, colleagues and external services to plan support. An EAL coordinator supports children learning English as an additional language, and staff run interventions for personal, social and emotional development. These are identifiable roles for families discussing a child's language or support needs.

Paediatric first-aid training appears across the nursery team. Personal care follows the school and nursery's intimate-care policy, with individual healthcare plans for children expected to need that assistance. The policy requires staff to explain care procedures and encourages children to manage tasks themselves where they can, preserving privacy while building independence.

Attending All Saints Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. East Sussex County Council provides the primary-school application route; nursery attendance and an application for school are separate decisions.

Transition support is a different matter. The nursery teacher leads children's preparation for moving to school, and a room lead works with the Reception teacher. For children with an Early Years Support Plan, the school's SEND policy provides for a meeting before entry and another during the first school term, allowing adults to discuss needs and review support together.

The nursery funding guidance describes up to 30 funded hours a week for eligible working parents, across 38 term-time weeks. Parents obtain an eligibility code through GOV.UK, pass it to their childcare provider and reconfirm eligibility every three months. Funding therefore involves an ongoing administrative step, as well as the initial application.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office at office@allsaints-bex.e-sussex.sch.uk or telephone 01424 219083. The setting is on All Saints Lane in Bexhill-on-Sea.