Great Wilbraham CofE Primary Academy Nursery Review

A Foundation Stage Unit and a Lunch Club for children nearing school age give Great Wilbraham’s nursery a distinctly school-based shape. The provision takes children who have turned three, within Great Wilbraham CofE Primary Academy on Church Street. The academy belongs to ACT Multi Academy Trust and has a Church of England character.

The academy has no Ofsted graded rating yet. At the predecessor school’s inspection on 4 and 5 October 2022, early years provision was Inadequate. That historical judgement concerns the predecessor school, rather than a separate inspection of this academy’s nursery.

The historical early years picture makes purposeful learning the central consideration here. In October 2022, children had access to different activities, but curriculum planning did not give those experiences a clear learning direction. Adult questioning did too little to develop children’s thinking, and opportunities to consolidate learning were insufficient. Children nevertheless learnt behavioural routines and played cooperatively.

By May 2023, the early years curriculum still needed clearer sequencing and connections with subsequent learning. For parents, the distinction matters: access to activities needs to be accompanied by deliberate teaching and opportunities to revisit learning. Support for the predecessor school also covered its indoor and outdoor early years provision.

Home visits formed part of the September 2026 nursery start: they were scheduled for 7 to 11 September, before children started on 14 September. This gave families a point of contact before the first nursery session. For children approaching school age, Lunch Club adds an hour and an opportunity to try a school lunch.

Across the academy, concerns about additional needs go first to the class teacher, with the SENDCo coordinating further support. Individual Support Plans are reviewed with parents each term. Depending on a child’s needs, support can include Numicon or sensory circuits. Individual programmes recommended by the Speech and Language Team are subject to service thresholds. These are school-wide arrangements, with support selected for the individual child.

Physical access has concrete provision: the school occupies one level, with wheelchair-suitable doorways and an accessible toilet. This matters for children whose mobility or care needs affect participation.

Safeguarding at the predecessor school was ineffective in October 2022, including delays in support and weaknesses in recording concerns. In May 2023, arrangements were effective following staff training and the introduction of an online recording system. These are dated findings, not a current nursery-specific assurance.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority under the school’s admission criteria. Families must make a separate Reception application through Cambridgeshire County Council Admissions by the normal deadline. Catchment, siblings and distance affect allocation; nursery attendance is not an admissions advantage.

Preparation for a new class is a separate matter. Across the school, staff share information with the next teacher in advance, and Individual Support Plans are developed together where appropriate. A Transition afternoon takes place at the end of the summer term. These arrangements support familiarity and continuity of care; they do not change the application process.

Nursery enquiries go to the school office at office@gw.act-academytrust.org or 01223 880408. Families can express interest at any time and complete an Expression of Interest Form. Lunch Club is specifically for children approaching school age, so its extra hour should be considered in that context when planning attendance.