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Nursery at Chulmleigh Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Daily Let’s Talk sessions and woodland exploration give Chulmleigh’s nursery two distinct threads: learning to communicate and learning through discovery. Children can join from age two, within the school’s Early Years unit. The nursery combines activities guided by adults with play shaped by children’s interests, making room for both group learning and individual exploration.
Early years provision was graded Good at the Ofsted inspection of 27 and 28 September 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
A fresh theme each half term provides a starting point, while children’s own ideas can change the direction of learning. Adults organise group activities at several points during the day, adjusting them to children’s understanding and interests. These give children practice in taking turns to speak and listening to other people. Play remains part of the learning, rather than simply filling the spaces between lessons.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together physical skills, communication and emotional development with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Here, the nursery emphasises movement, language and social development. Write Dance introduces early writing activities, while daily Let’s Talk sessions develop language. Nursery phonics begins with Phase 1: listening, noticing sounds and exploring rhyme. These activities build listening and sound awareness for later reading.
Outdoors, the woodland area hosts Woody Wonders each week. Children explore shelter construction, campfire safety and cooking outside, alongside learning about the plants and animals around them. Waterproof clothing allows them to investigate seasonal changes in the Woody Wonder area. This gives early learning a practical setting beyond indoor activities.
In September 2023, spoken language was a clear strength of the early years teaching, helping children communicate. Curriculum detail. In some subjects, the intended knowledge was insufficiently precise, leaving early years children less fully prepared for their next stage. Families should weigh that concern alongside the provision’s emphasis on talk and purposeful play.
Learning everyday routines forms part of the nursery experience. In September 2023, early years children were learning to follow routines and beginning to express their feelings. Those are useful building blocks for managing a group day and asking adults for help.
For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school has a SEND coordinator and provides staff training. Its approach includes identifying needs, adapting support and planning transitions between stages. Parents can discuss concerns about their child’s care, education or learning plans with the SEND team, giving them a direct route into those conversations.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. A separate application is required through Devon County Council’s School Admissions service, with a closing date of 15 January each year. Nursery applications go directly to the school, so families need to treat these as two distinct processes.
Day-to-day familiarity is a separate benefit. Nursery children spend parts of the day mixing with Reception children, practising language and social skills. For children who move into Reception here, the Early Years unit and its staff are already familiar. That continuity concerns the experience of moving classes; it does not secure admission.
Chulmleigh Out of School Club accepts children aged 2 to 11, with sessions from 8am to 9am and 3.30pm to 6pm. Nursery families book through their Nursery Contract; requests for extra hours go through the school office. Places are allocated in booking order and are subject to session capacity, so wraparound care needs planning alongside the nursery booking. Families can use the club on a regular or occasional basis. Bookings close at midnight before the session they want.
For nursery enquiries, use the school’s enquiry form, telephone 01769 580535 or email admin@chulmleigh-primary.devon.sch.uk. Visits can be arranged by telephone or email. Term dates are coordinated across the Trust’s schools.
Children can join from age two.
Activities include Write Dance, daily Let’s Talk sessions and Phase 1 phonics focused on listening, sound awareness and rhyme. Adult-guided activities sit alongside play led by children’s interests.
Yes. Weekly Woody Wonders sessions use the woodland area for activities including shelter building, outdoor cooking and learning about plants and animals.
No. Families must make a fresh application through Devon County Council’s School Admissions service by 15 January each year.
Yes. Chulmleigh Out of School Club runs from 8am to 9am and 3.30pm to 6pm. Nursery bookings use the Nursery Contract, with additional hours requested through the school office, subject to capacity.
