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Nursery at Park Community Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A Sensory Studio, padded Soft Play Room and space for visiting therapists give Park Community Academy’s early years provision its distinctive character. The nursery belongs to a special school in Blackpool, with the Early Years Department based in the purpose-built Jubilee Building. This is provision shaped around children’s additional needs.
Across the school, children have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Learning is adapted to each child’s developmental stage, so the starting point is individual need rather than a single pace for the class.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework guides learning. In parent terms, the approach gives children opportunities to investigate through play, persist with something difficult and try out their own ideas. PCA places emphasis on the learning process, alongside what a child eventually achieves. Children also choose activities within the early years provision, with independence as an explicit aim.
Communication has concrete tools. Early years activities include puppets and tubs of sounds or phonics materials, alongside Talking Homework to extend communication. The school uses a total communication approach, including sign supported language. These give children ways to participate beyond spoken words alone.
Inside the Jubilee Building, the Sensory Studio creates simulated environments for exploration. The Soft Play Room has padded surfaces and different levels, with tunnels, slopes and blocks supporting movement and interaction. An Art Room has sinks at children’s height as well as adult height, making practical creative work part of the physical design.
Outside, secure play spaces have a protective surface and fixed wooden climbing equipment for developing larger movements. Children also have access to a sensory garden and an outdoor learning area being developed for Forest School. The contrast between sensory exploration, creative work and physical play gives families several distinct features to weigh up.
Settling starts with contact between home and the class team. Once a place is confirmed, parents are invited to meet the teacher and the child can spend time in a class. The number of visits varies. This provides an introduction to the people and surroundings before the child joins.
Care facilities are integrated into the early years classrooms, with adjoining spaces for washing, changing and toileting. A separate Therapy Room gives visiting professionals somewhere quieter to work with children. Support can involve speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, connecting learning with communication and physical needs.
Across PCA, familiar teachers and support assistants help children with personal care. Individual health plans address significant medical needs and allergies. Home/school diaries are used when needed, while Arbor and the Evidence for Learning App are among the ways families keep in touch and follow progress. Parents have at least three meetings each year, including an annual review, giving individual targets a regular place in discussion.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Reception placement needs to be considered separately through the appropriate admissions route. At PCA, admissions go through the Special Educational Needs Team and require local authority agreement; families should work with the team managing their child’s EHCP. Familiarity with the setting should not be mistaken for an entitlement to remain.
PCA is at 158 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HF. For general enquiries, telephone 01253 764130 or email admin@park.svt.org.uk.
The school gates open at 8:40, registration begins at 8:50 and the school day finishes at 15:05. These are school-wide timings. They provide a practical reference for the daily journey, alongside the child’s individual placement arrangements.
The Early Years Department occupies the Jubilee Building at Park Community Academy in Blackpool.
The EYFS approach includes exploration through play, persistence and developing ideas. Early years communication activities include puppets, sound or phonics tubs and Talking Homework.
Early years children have secure outdoor play areas with wooden climbing equipment, plus access to a sensory garden and an outdoor learning environment being developed for Forest School.
After a place is confirmed, parents are invited to meet the class teacher and children are invited to spend time in a class. The number of visits varies.
No. PCA admissions are managed through the Special Educational Needs Team and need local authority agreement. Work with the team managing your child’s EHCP on the next placement.
