Charlton Kings Infants' School Kindergarten

Outdoor exploration and learning shaped around individual children give this Kindergarten its character. The nursery belongs to Charlton Kings Infants' School and caters for three- and four-year-olds. Its outdoor area supports Forest School type activities, while key persons plan learning around each child's development. That puts children's next steps, rather than a single pace for the group, at the centre of the day.

The Kindergarten occupies ground-floor accommodation, with sloping floors or ramps at changes of level and accessible toilets. These are useful practical features for children who need support with physical access.

Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with activities adapted to children's needs and developmental stages. Key persons observe children through focused activities, photographs and accounts of their learning. Those observations help staff decide what to plan next, so assessment connects directly with what a child does during the day.

Creative learning includes exploring materials and making marks. Kindergarten art vocabulary includes chalk, paint, pencil, shape and line: simple starting points for experimenting with how marks look and how tools work. Art sits within the EYFS area of Expressive Arts and Design, linking creative exploration with children's wider development.

Outside, Forest School type activities have space in the Kindergarten grounds. The nursery aims to use these experiences to develop children's confidence and self-esteem. Personal, social and health education also gives children opportunities to understand their own feelings and those of others. For children with SEND, iPads provide another way to access learning, alongside activities tailored to their needs.

A child's key person is a direct contact for parents, with two parents' evenings each year and opportunities to discuss concerns after Kindergarten or by appointment. Families do not have to hold a concern until a scheduled meeting. For children joining with SEND, familiarisation visits are encouraged, and staff liaise with professionals already involved before the child starts.

The Lead Practitioner and SENDCo coordinate additional support. My Plan records a child's needs, intended outcomes and the resources or strategies to use, with parents involved in its preparation. Where further specialist advice is needed, support may move to My Plan+. Progress discussions take place at least four times a year, giving families regular opportunities to review how the arrangements are working.

Medical needs have their own care plans, including who is responsible for the support required. Staff also help with personal care when they know what assistance a child needs. This makes sharing care requirements with the key person an important part of preparation.

Attending Kindergarten does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery attendance and Reception admission are separate processes: families must apply again through the normal school admissions route.

Gloucestershire County Council is the route for Reception applications. For the September 2026 intake, the application deadline was midnight on 15 January 2026. That was a separate school-place application, rather than a continuation of a Kindergarten session request.

Visits to Kindergarten can be arranged by appointment through kindergarten@ckis.org.uk or by calling 01242 514483, extension 2. This gives families a direct contact with the nursery team before choosing the provision.

Returning families were invited to request their preferred sessions for September 2026 through a dedicated form. That request window closed on 20 March 2026. Session requests therefore had their own timetable, separate from the Reception application cycle.