Evergreen Nursery at Abbots Green Primary Academy

A bird-watching window in Maple Room and castle-building in Oak Room give Evergreen Nursery its character: children investigate, make things and learn through play. This is Abbots Green Primary Academy’s nursery for children aged two to four, in Bury St Edmunds. Admission normally begins in the term after a child turns two; an earlier birthday start can be considered against staffing and ratios.

At the Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 June 2022, early years provision was judged Outstanding. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play has a clear learning purpose. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines language, relationships and physical development with early reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Evergreen uses the Curiosity Approach, with activities shaped around children’s interests and assessed needs. Adults also teach directly during the day, so choosing an activity sits alongside practising specific skills.

Oak Room has spaces for construction, role play and mark-making, plus a fine motor area for coordination and finger strength. Children explore weight, patterns and shape through mathematics activities. Carpet sessions introduce the day, bring children together again in the afternoon, and finish with singing and a story. A weekly text provides a starting point for Oak Room’s learning, connecting stories with vocabulary and activities.

Maple Room brings listening games, songs and stories together on the carpet. Its reading area, maths table and bird-watching window offer different ways to explore. Outside, children investigate insects and visiting animals in the garden. Both rooms use their outdoor areas whatever the weather; wellies, a waterproof coat and a hat belong in an Oak Room child’s kit.

Early phonics begins with listening and speaking in Maple Room, before Phase 2 work in Oak Room. Letters and Sounds and Jolly Phonics are the named approaches. The emphasis starts with hearing sounds and using language, rather than rushing straight to written work.

Settling is paced around the child. Evergreen offers up to four hours of free settling sessions and asks a parent to stay for the first hour, allowing staff to gather information and consent. Sessions generally begin about a month before the start date, with flexibility over their length. A child’s key person completes the development check at age two and shares it with parents.

Oak and Maple each have a room lead, supported by a deputy room lead and early years practitioners. Learning Journey sheets share observations with families, while whiteboards outside nursery classrooms carry brief reminders. Where a specific developmental need emerges, staff involve the SENCo and can seek advice from services such as speech and language support.

A nursery cook prepares snacks and hot lunches; children may also bring a packed lunch. Vegetarian meals and special dietary requirements are catered for. Maple Room has its own toilets and a changing area, keeping these care routines within the room. Parents supply nappies and any additional changing materials their child needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through Suffolk County Council for the normal Reception intake. For the 2027-28 admission year, applications follow the home local authority’s process, with a deadline of 15 January for entry that September; approval of those arrangements remains to be confirmed.

Transition support is a separate matter. Staff exchange information with children’s previous settings, and the programme includes play sessions, an outdoor session with parents and a half-day that introduces lunch. These experiences help children become familiar with routines; they do not secure admission.

Monday to Friday opening runs from 7:45am to 6pm. Families can choose a school day from 8:30am to 2:30pm, morning or afternoon sessions, or the longer full day. Booking requires at least three sessions each week. There are term-time and all-year options, with holiday, bank holiday and training-day closures to plan around.

Funding and extras. Funded hours are used during term time and are not stretched across the year. The universal 15 hours apply from the term after the third birthday and can only be used in core sessions, 8:30am to 11:30am and 11:30am to 2:30pm; eligible families can access 30 hours, and qualifying two-year-olds’ Golden Tickets are accepted. Consumables are outside funding, with an optional additional charge for meals and snacks. Ask Evergreen for current charges.

Send session and funding enquiries to evergreenoffice@abbotsgreenacademy.co.uk. Clothing should be washable, labelled and suited to the weather, with a spare set supplied. Hand children directly to a staff member; collection is restricted to authorised people aged over 18.