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Nursery at Canvey Island Infant School and Nursery
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A mud kitchen, dressing-up play and a large enclosed garden shaped Pebbles Nursery's day around exploration at the former infant school. Its purpose-built accommodation could take up to 30 children at once, with free movement between indoor and outdoor activities. Children could start from the day after their third birthday; the funding arrangements covered three- and four-year-olds.
There is an important change of school identity for families choosing now. From 1 September 2026, Canvey Island Infant School and Nursery amalgamated with Canvey Junior School to become Canvey Primary School & Nursery. The amalgamation included 30 nursery places. Pebbles is the nursery name associated with the former infant school. The operational details below describe that nursery's arrangements before the amalgamation. Families choosing now should confirm sessions, care routines, funding and transition arrangements with Canvey Primary School & Nursery.
Independent play started each session, followed by a gathering on the carpet. Children could choose between construction, small-world play, reading and creative activities, while messy play and the mud kitchen gave them practical ways to experiment. The enclosed garden formed part of the learning space, rather than somewhere reserved for a break.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) organises learning through play. Communication, physical skills and emotional and social development sit alongside early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. Staff observed children playing, then shaped activities around their development. A curriculum running over two years also changed in response to children's interests, giving adult planning and children's choices a place in the session.
Listening came before letter sounds. Phase 1 phonics included body percussion and attention to sounds made by instruments and the surrounding environment, followed by alliteration and rhyme. During spring and summer, children began two or three sounds each week through Read, Write Inc. Daily Number Time brought counting to 10, songs and shape recognition together, with some Numberblocks links. These were short, concrete introductions to reading and mathematics.
Each child had an allocated key person who got to know both child and family. This gave parents a familiar contact for discussing their child. Staff also helped children organise their belongings and settle into the session. Spare clothes, pull-ups for children learning to use the toilet and wet wipes belonged in the named nursery bag.
Tapestry connected learning at home and nursery through photographs, videos, observations and assessments. Parents could contribute their child's experiences, while weekly learning updates included ideas to try at home. The exchange gave families something specific to build on beyond the nursery session.
Early-years support included work on speech and language, social interaction, movement skills, phonics and mathematics. Planning also responded to sensory needs. For children attending Lunch Club, lunch was eaten in the main school hall with nursery staff they knew. Families could provide a packed lunch or choose a charged hot meal; familiar adults supported this move into a shared school space.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the relevant deadline. Choosing nursery and securing a school place are separate decisions.
At the former infant school, children who already held a Reception place spent time in the Reception classroom and garden during the summer term. Those visits introduced the spaces children would use next. They were preparation for an allocated place, rather than an admissions advantage. Confirm the successor school's transition arrangements separately.
The former nursery's morning sessions ran from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons ran from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Lunch Club bridged the hour between them. The 30-hour pattern covered both sessions across five days, with a charge for Lunch Club. Families could instead request 9am to 3pm, avoiding that Lunch Club charge.
Its funding arrangements provided up to 15 universal funded hours each week from the school term after a child's third birthday. Eligible working families could access 30 hours. An approved childcare account arranged before the preceding term ended could allow eligible children to use funding from the day after their third birthday. Otherwise, sessions before universal funding began were charged. Families without the additional funded hours could pay to extend to a full-time place. Contact Canvey Primary School & Nursery to confirm current funding arrangements and charges.
Uniform was optional. Suitable shoes needed no laces, jewellery was prohibited, and clothing needed name labels. Families were asked to bring wellies, a water bottle containing plain water and spare clothing. The former nursery's office contact was 01268 683257, with email enquiries to admin@canvey-inf.essex.sch.uk. Confirm the current enquiry route and clothing requirements with the successor school.
The former infant school's nursery accepted children from the day after their third birthday. Funding depended on eligibility and approval timing; otherwise, early sessions were charged. Confirm current starting and funding arrangements with Canvey Primary School & Nursery.
At the former nursery, mornings ran from 8:30am to 11:30am and afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Lunch Club ran from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Families could also request 9am to 3pm. Confirm current session options with the successor school.
No. A separate Reception application is required. The former infant school's summer transition visits were for nursery children who already held a place. Confirm current transition arrangements with Canvey Primary School & Nursery.
The former nursery's Lunch Club offered a packed lunch or charged hot meal, eaten in the main school hall with familiar nursery staff. Confirm current lunch arrangements with the successor school.
Uniform was optional at the former nursery. Clothing needed labels, shoes needed no laces, and jewellery, including watches and earrings, was prohibited. Confirm current requirements with the successor school.
