Saplings Pre-School at Blean Primary School

Play, outdoor exploration and a teacher-led start give Saplings its character. This is Blean Primary School’s own pre-school in Blean, Canterbury, within a school whose age range begins at three. Saplings calls its approach Root Learning: practical experiences, attention to individual interests and learning through play.

The pre-school shares Blean’s values, including curiosity, collaboration and resilience. Saplings aims to turn those ideas into children asking questions, playing together and persisting when something proves difficult. The emphasis is on how children learn as well as what they learn.

Root Learning combines hands-on play with exploration of the school grounds. Outdoor learning is intended to connect children with nature and encourage questions about their surroundings. The grounds are a concrete part of the approach, giving learning a setting beyond the classroom.

Personal interests also help shape learning. Saplings says it adapts to children’s needs and interests, with progress at an individual pace. For parents, that means an approach intended to respond to the child rather than expecting everyone to move through learning together.

Social, emotional and physical development sit alongside learning skills. Saplings aims to help children solve problems using their own ideas and the resources around them, while collaborative play gives them opportunities to practise working with others. Its emphasis on real experiences makes exploration and practical activity central to its stated approach.

The pre-school teacher also holds the school’s EYFS leadership role, and the team includes a pre-school teaching assistant. That connects Saplings’ teaching structure with leadership of early learning across Blean.

At school level, the Inclusion Lead works with families and, where appropriate, outside agencies. Support encompasses special educational needs, medical needs and English as an additional language. Blean uses a Graduated Approach, moving through assessment, planning, action and review. This gives families a process for discussing needs and revisiting support.

Reach More Parents carries school notices, learning updates and key dates. Across Blean, Pabulum provides meals prepared on site. Families should notify the school office when dietary requirements change, so the information used for meals stays current.

Attending Saplings does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Kent County Council’s normal online admissions process. Applications run from November to January, and the local authority communicates the allocation decision.

Treat the pre-school choice and the Reception application as separate decisions. An enjoyable nursery experience does not remove the need to apply again through the normal route and meet the relevant deadline.

Saplings enquiries and completed admission forms go to saplings@blean.kent.sch.uk. The school is on Whitstable Road, Blean, Canterbury, CT2 9ED.

For general office contact, use office@blean.kent.sch.uk or telephone 01227 471 254. Keeping the Saplings email as the direct contact makes it straightforward to address pre-school correspondence to the relevant team.