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Nursery at Camborne Nursery School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
An orchard garden, apple pressing and trips to the beach give Camborne Nursery School a practical, outdoor character. Children investigate real materials and places, with play providing the starting point for learning. This is a local authority nursery school, rather than a nursery classroom within a primary school.
Provision now starts at 18 months, with the nursery day page giving an upper age of five. A new classroom for younger children has access to the garden. The purpose-built setting is on The Glebe in Camborne, and belongs to Cornwall Nursery Schools Federation alongside Truro Nursery School.
Children can move between outdoor and indoor play during their session. The orchard and sand and water garden give them different ways to explore: handling materials, investigating nature and choosing where to play. Outdoor clothing supports play in different weather conditions. Campfire activities and apple pressing add practical experiences, while beach visits extend exploration beyond the nursery grounds.
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the curriculum framework here: children learn through hands-on exploration, with adults connecting activities to their interests and development. Staff have undertaken training with The Froebel Trust to develop Froebelian practice. The emphasis on investigation means play is a route into learning, rather than simply a break between adult-led activities.
The January 2025 inspection described forest-area story enactment helping children understand position, while water play and adult conversation developed their understanding of container capacity. Songs, stories and rhymes support language, alongside a sign introduced each week. These give children several ways to join in and communicate.
Teaching consistency. In January 2025, some adults were less confident in parts of the curriculum, and conversations did not always stretch children’s language sufficiently. Developing shared curriculum knowledge and staff expertise in language teaching was an improvement priority. Families should weigh the breadth of activities alongside this concern about how consistently adults extend learning.
Families offered a place are also offered a home visit, giving the child and family a chance to meet their keyworker. Parents can help their child settle at the beginning of sessions and speak with staff. Photographs and observations shared through the learning platform provide another link with home, while open days and conversations about progress create opportunities to discuss development.
The team includes four qualified teachers, and keyworkers hold qualifications at NVQ3 level or higher. Communication support includes Makaton, visual timetables and a Soundfield System that amplifies the teacher’s voice. These give children spoken, signed and visual ways to understand activities and changes. Staff also work with professionals including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.
In January 2025, support for SEND included prompt identification of additional needs and adjustments to learning. Safeguarding arrangements were effective, with trained staff reporting concerns and leaders responding promptly. Governance oversight. Some governors lacked sufficient knowledge of education and safeguarding, including recent safeguarding training, limiting their ability to scrutinise the nursery’s work. Governor development was therefore another improvement priority.
Attending Camborne Nursery School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Nursery learning and relationships should be considered separately from the allocation of a school place.
The nursery operates during term time, opening at 8am and closing at 5pm. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. Breakfast Club covers 8am to 9am, and After School Club covers 3pm to 5pm. The latter may continue until 6pm if more than four children attend, so that later finish is conditional.
Children receive 15 funded nursery education hours from the term following their third birthday. For contact, the school telephone number is 01209 713607. Parents can also change their child’s library book at the beginning of a session, linking nursery stories with reading at home.
The nursery day page gives an age range of 18 months to five years, and younger children have a new classroom with garden access.
Morning sessions are 9am to noon and afternoon sessions are noon to 3pm. Breakfast Club runs from 8am to 9am; After School Club runs from 3pm to 5pm, with a possible extension to 6pm if more than four children attend.
Families offered a place are offered a home visit to meet the keyworker. Parents can help their child settle and talk with staff at the start of sessions.
Support includes Makaton, visual timetables and an amplified teacher’s voice through the Soundfield System. Staff work with external professionals, including speech and language therapists.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process, by the applicable deadline.
