Little Acorns Nursery at Hurst Green

Indoor and outdoor play, stories before lunch and a meal in the school hall give Little Acorns its daily rhythm. This is the nursery at Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and Nursery in East Sussex, with provision for two-year-olds. The connection with school life is practical: nursery children join the school for lunch, making the hall part of their everyday experience.

The morning begins at 9am, with Circle Time at 9.15am before children move into indoor and outdoor play at 9.30am. A snack follows at 10am. At 11.30am, tidying leads into songs and a story, then toileting and handwashing prepare children for lunch at noon. Group activities punctuate the play. For parents, that gives the morning a clear sequence rather than an uninterrupted stretch of one activity.

From 1pm, the afternoon starts with free-flow play. Children have another snack at 2pm, followed by tidying and Storytime at 2.30pm; home time is 3pm. Both parts of the day therefore combine play with shared routines, while stories provide a familiar ending.

Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In parent language, this brings together talking and listening, movement, relationships and managing feelings, alongside early maths, literacy, creativity and discovering how the world works. Practical activity is part of the approach: a home corner and construction sets give children opportunities to build relationships while developing skills through play. These are concrete ways for young children to learn alongside others.

Each child has a Key Person, giving the family a particular member of staff with whom to build a relationship. That person also keeps a Learning Journey which parents can access, providing a way to follow their child's development. All nursery staff have NVQ Level 3 training and undertake continuing professional development. Most have paediatric first-aid training, renewed every three years.

Food and personal care have places in the routine. Snacks feature in both sessions, and children use the toilet and wash their hands before joining lunch in the school hall. School lunch choices include a jacket potato, a vegetarian option and a main meal, with packed lunches also an option. Food-allergy alternatives require advance written notification, so families need to communicate dietary requirements before meals are arranged.

For children needing additional support, the school's approach is to identify needs early and discuss concerns with parents and carers. The special educational needs coordinator can arrange progress meetings and help develop individual programmes. Advice may also be sought from speech therapy, educational psychology or the Learning Support Service. This gives families a route for discussing concerns and planning support together.

Attending Little Acorns does not guarantee a Reception place at Hurst Green. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate processes: families must apply again through the normal Reception route by the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and securing a school place as two separate decisions.

The nursery routine starts its morning session at 9am and its afternoon session at 1pm, with home time at 3pm. For nursery enquiries, call 01580 860375 and choose option 2 to speak with the Nursery Manager. This provides a direct contact for families interested in joining Little Acorns.