Waycroft Academy Nursery and Preschool

Language and discovery give Waycroft’s early years provision its character. Admiral Nursery caters for two-year-olds, while Mary Rose Preschool takes three-year-olds; the June 2024 inspection also described a Nursery class for children aged three and four. Both sit within Waycroft Academy on Selden Road in Stockwood, Bristol. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 4 and 5 June 2024.

Conversation has a clear purpose here. In June 2024, adults across the early years taught deliberately selected vocabulary and used questions to extend children’s thinking. That focus included the provision for two-year-olds and the Nursery class, giving younger children help to express ideas and understand what they encounter.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) learning described in June 2024 included language, number and exploration of the natural world. Number activities helped children distinguish between odd and even numbers. This gives parents a concrete example of mathematical thinking being developed in the early years, alongside communication.

Outdoor learning adds another dimension. By June 2024, the school had invested in its outdoor provision, with activities selected to spark children’s curiosity about nature. Adults helped children consider the world around them and develop their understanding. The combination matters: exploration supplies something to investigate, while conversation helps children put their discoveries into words.

Relationships were a strength in the early years in June 2024, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults provided affectionate, reassuring support, and early years children with SEND received help tailored to their needs. For families considering additional support, that is a useful finding about this stage specifically.

The wider school was asked to make progress measures for some SEND support clearer. That concern should retain its school-wide scope; it does not cancel the positive early years finding. Families should consider both the support their child receives and how progress will be evaluated. The SENCO can be contacted through the school office.

For school meals, Waycroft works with Innovate. Children needing a menu adapted for an allergy, intolerance, medical diet or lifestyle choice have an online dietary request process requiring photo identification and medical documentation. Innovate’s operations or safety team then agrees a suitable menu. This provides a formal route for discussing dietary requirements.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority’s Common Application Form. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 15 January 2027.

For the 2027/28 intake, nursery attendance confers no admissions priority. Priority categories cover children who are looked after or were previously looked after, then qualifying siblings attending Reception to Year 5, followed by other applicants. Distance determines the order within an oversubscribed category. Choosing the nursery therefore requires a separate decision about the Reception application.

Expression-of-interest forms are available separately for Admiral Nursery and Mary Rose Preschool. For January 2027 entry, submit the relevant form by 16 October 2026; for April 2027 entry, the deadline is 8 January 2027. Completing a form starts contact about admission rather than confirming a place.

Admiral applicants must also apply for an eligibility code while completing their expression of interest, because the code enables funding for the child’s place. Keep these two steps together. The academy can be contacted on 0117 377 2198, and its address is Selden Road, Stockwood, Bristol BS14 8PS.