Southmead School Nursery Review

Pouring drinks, preparing fruit and putting scraps aside for compost: independence at Southmead Pre-School starts with ordinary daily jobs. These small tasks give children something useful to practise alongside their play. The provision sits within Southmead School on Wrafton Road in Braunton, with governor oversight.

Its team includes a manager who also holds SEND responsibilities, a deputy manager, early years practitioners and a teaching assistant. Families can choose a morning, an afternoon or a full nursery day, with short Pre-School Plus sessions extending the handover times.

Play shapes the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) here. Children pursue their own ideas and also join activities guided by adults. In parent language, the curriculum brings together learning to communicate, manage feelings and move confidently, alongside early reading, mathematics, creativity and discovering how the world works. Exploring, persisting with an activity and thinking through a problem matter alongside the things children learn.

Stories, poems, rhymes and factual books give staff opportunities to introduce vocabulary. Adults extend learning through conversation and play, and share observations verbally with families. This makes everyday exchanges part of the learning day rather than leaving language development to a separate activity.

Outdoor play continues in wet, cold and sunny weather. Wellington boots and waterproof clothing belong in the nursery kit, and messy activities are part of the routine. Families should expect clothes to get used. Practical learning carries on at snack time: children practise cutting fruit, pouring drinks and clearing their dishes, with staff supervising. Food scraps go into a bowl destined for the compost bin, connecting tidying up with caring for the environment.

Each child has a key person, introduced when they start, who follows their development and provides emotional support. Regular meetings give parents a familiar person with whom to discuss progress. That staff member also prepares termly reports, the statutory Two Year Old Progress check and a transition document, creating a continuing record of the child's development.

Snack choices include vegetables or fruit, with water or milk to drink. Children staying for lunch bring a named lunchbox and water bottle; staff help with containers and packets where needed. A microwave allows food to be warmed when families provide a suitable container and heating instructions. Dietary requirements and allergies should be discussed with staff.

Children wearing nappies are accepted, with pull-ups preferred to support toilet training. Soiled nappies are sent home for disposal. Clothing that children can manage themselves supports the nursery's emphasis on toileting independence.

The pre-school manager also has SEND and safeguarding responsibilities. Southmead's support process develops in stages, drawing on outside agencies when appropriate and involving parents in discussions. For medication, families must complete a consent form explaining its administration before staff can give it.

Attending Southmead Pre-School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate formal application through Devon County Council, rather than applying directly to the school, and meet the normal application deadline. Treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery sessions.

Transition information has its own purpose: helping the next setting understand the child. The key person prepares a transition document, and information can be shared with other childcare settings, primary schools and relevant agencies after discussion with parents and with their permission. That supports continuity of care; it does not secure admission.

Sessions run Monday to Friday for 38 weeks, during term time: 9am to 3pm, 9am to noon, or noon to 3pm. Pre-School Plus covers 8.40am to 9am and 3pm to 3.10pm, with booking through MCAS (My Child at School). These brief extensions help coordinate collection with the school day.

Eligible families can use two-year-old funding or the working entitlement for children aged two, three and four. Funding paperwork includes a birth certificate and a termly headcount form recording attendance hours. Working entitlement codes require verification and must be received before 31 August, 31 December or 31 March for the following term. Delays can leave attended sessions chargeable. Families whose codes require reconfirmation must do this every three months. Session invoices are paid through MCAS; registration carries a one-off, non-refundable payment, and Pre-School Plus is charged. Ask the school for current charges.

For enquiries, contact the office on 01271 812448 or admin@southmead.devon.sch.uk. Morning handover takes place at the fenced ramp outside Pre-School, reached through the double green gates; midday handovers take place at those gates with staff. Tell the team beforehand if someone other than a person listed on the registration form will collect your child.