Buckland Brewer Primary School Nursery

Orleigh Class puts preschool children alongside older children from the outset. Buckland Brewer’s nursery shares its class with Reception and Year 1, making a mixed-age classroom the defining feature of this provision. It is part of the Village Schools Partnership.

The preschool offer is for children aged three and over. This is distinct from the nursery’s registration for two-, three- and four-year-olds recorded in March 2024: no two-year-olds attended at that point. Ofsted graded early years provision Requires improvement following its inspection on 5 and 6 March 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework. In practice, the early years examples include listening to traditional stories and imaginative play in a mud kitchen. In March 2024, children sustained their attention while pretending to prepare food and drinks there. Play gave them something concrete to concentrate on.

First Hand Learning and Learning In the Outdoors are named priorities across the partnership. Forest School extends across its three schools, with activities each term. This gives outdoor learning a recurring place in the curriculum rather than reserving it for occasional outings.

Animal symbols make learning habits easier to discuss with young children. The Bee represents learning with others; the Cat encourages questions and curiosity; the Tortoise stands for persistence. These give adults and children a shared vocabulary for talking about how they learn.

In March 2024, early years curriculum changes were at an initial stage, with their impact only beginning to emerge. The Requires improvement judgement matters alongside the positive examples of focused play and carefully chosen stories: those examples do not establish consistently effective provision.

Warm adult relationships helped early years children settle in March 2024. For a child beginning preschool, that links emotional reassurance with being able to concentrate on an activity. Orleigh has a class teacher and teaching assistants, while the partnership’s SEND coordinator works across its three schools and has an experienced assistant coordinator.

Meals are prepared centrally in the Partnership Kitchen at Woolsery Primary School. Lunch therefore comes through the partnership’s shared catering arrangements. If staff need to administer medication, parents must complete a form beforehand, including for medicines bought over the counter. Forms can be obtained from the school office.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate normal-round application to Devon County Council by 15 January. Treat this as a separate task even when your child already attends Orleigh.

Classroom familiarity is a different matter. Preschool children already share the learning environment with Reception, and the partnership describes continuity in adults, routines and approaches to learning. That can make the change feel more familiar; it does not replace the admissions process.

The school day runs from 8:45am until 3:15pm, with lunch between noon and 1pm. These are school hours, rather than a preschool session booking offer.

Visits can be arranged through the office at a mutually convenient time, allowing parents and children to meet staff and see the setting. For enquiries, contact Buckland Brewer on 01237 451315 or email buckland@villageschools.org.uk.