Nursery at The Icknield Primary School

Play, conversation and room to explore shape the school's approach to early learning. Pippins Preschool sits within The Icknield Primary School community in Sawston, with preschool managers who also hold designated safeguarding roles. That gives the preschool its own identifiable care leadership within the wider school.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 20 and 21 May 2025. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

For the next stage of learning, the school's Reception-linked Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum provides context. Development Matters and the EYFS Statutory Framework guide its planning. Its learning areas include talking and listening, managing feelings and relationships, and developing physical skills, alongside early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world.

Within that Reception-linked curriculum, adult teaching is followed by opportunities for independent practice called Busy Learning. The indoor and outdoor learning spaces support children's ideas and interests. These arrangements concern the school curriculum, rather than establishing Pippins Preschool's session structure.

The school's early years language approach includes stories, imaginative play, rhymes and songs, with adults modelling language during conversations. Speech and language support begins in the early years. These school-level arrangements should be distinguished from the preschool's day.

In May 2025, early years children developed movement skills using trim trails and organised PE activities. Physical learning had concrete opportunities for practice, alongside the foundations for later learning identified in that inspection.

Preschool safeguarding leadership is held by its managers. Families can raise concerns with the designated safeguarding team through office@icknieldprimary.org, giving them a direct contact route for a child's welfare.

Across the school, behaviour support uses a therapeutic approach centred on calming situations, reflection and repairing relationships. Staff receive annual training updates, and expectations are adapted for children's ages and SEND needs. The emphasis is on responding to what a child needs to participate.

Parent involvement in SEND support. In May 2025, some school SEND reviews did not fully capture parents' perspectives. This was a school-wide improvement requirement, rather than a nursery-specific finding. Families' knowledge of their child needs to be included when support is reviewed.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process.

For children living in Cambridgeshire, the Reception application route is through Cambridgeshire County Council. For the September 2026 intake, the closing date was 15 January 2026. That admissions cycle is past; its deadline should not be treated as the deadline for a later intake. Choosing nursery provision and applying for a school place remain separate decisions.

The school is on Lynton Way, Sawston, Cambridge, CB22 3EA. Nursery enquiries can be directed through the school office on 01223 508750 or by email to office@icknieldprimary.org. There is also a contact form for sending an enquiry in writing.