East-the-Water Community Primary School Nursery Review

Talk starts early at Little Skippers. Vocabulary, listening and speaking form the nursery’s preparation for reading, giving children ways to explain their ideas before they tackle written words. This is the nursery provision within East-the-Water Community Primary School’s foundation stage unit in Bideford, welcoming children aged two to four until they begin Reception.

Full-day attendance and options for childcare before and after school give families a practical starting point. Children have access to an outdoor play environment, while qualified early years educators support the unit. The emphasis is on learning through activity and conversation.

Counting, making and talking bring the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) into everyday play. In parent terms, children explore ideas through practical experiences: number recognition and counting feature in free play and role play, with classroom displays providing further prompts. Maths begins with things children can investigate.

Language has a clear purpose here. At the May 2023 inspection, nursery children practised vocabulary about distance while testing how far a toy car travelled from a ramp. That example connects words with a visible result, helping children explain comparisons rather than simply repeat new vocabulary. Nursery work on speaking and listening also prepares children for later work with sounds and words.

Making activities involve experimenting with tools and materials, discussing an idea and considering the finished creation. Early years computing introduces programming through Beebots, giving children a practical way to explore instructions. Kapow Primary Music adds listening, movement and singing, including experiments with changes in speed and pitch. These activities make learning something children can try, discuss and revisit.

Outdoor play provides another setting for exploration. Indoors, number displays and interactive play activities give children prompts to investigate independently, alongside the practical experiences planned within the EYFS.

Curriculum consistency. The May 2023 inspection also identified curriculum changes that needed firmer implementation across the school, with understanding less secure in some subjects. This was a school-wide improvement point, rather than a nursery-specific judgement, but it remains relevant context for families.

Qualified early years educators work within the foundation stage unit. In May 2023, staff helped early years children settle into school routines and expectations quickly. For a young child, learning the rhythm of the day is part of becoming comfortable with the setting.

For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the early years team and SENDCo work with parents to plan provision and identify appropriate partners. The school’s support process uses My Plans with termly targets and reviews involving families. That gives parents a specific opportunity to discuss progress and agree the next steps. Families concerned about development can approach the SENDCo.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process; the school directs parents to Devon County Council’s admissions service.

Transition support is a separate matter from admission. For children with SEND moving between classes, information passes to the next teacher and My Plans or Pupil Profiles are shared. Where possible, children can meet their next teacher and visit the classroom beforehand. A transition booklet can also be prepared when it would help a child understand the change.

Full-day nursery sessions can be supplemented by before and after school club options. Barracudas, the school’s breakfast and tea club, operates on weekdays during term time. Families submit its application form to the office, then book and pay through School Gateway once access has been arranged. Places are allocated in application order, so the extra childcare needs its own booking.

For a nursery application, use the Nursery Application Form as your child approaches admission age, or a Note of Interest Form earlier. Paper forms can be collected from the office. The contact form has Little Skippers enquiry and admission options, and the office can arrange a visit by email or telephone.