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Nursery at Chiltern Wood 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Communication and individual learning goals give Chiltern Wood School’s nursery provision its specialist context. This is a state-maintained special school where pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). For families, the central consideration is how education, therapy and care fit their child’s needs.
Early years children have opportunities to meet children from local nursery schools and playgroups. Those groups visit Chiltern Wood, and some children have specific integration sessions. This gives learning a social dimension beyond their own group.
The school’s teaching approach puts communication, emotional regulation and practical independence alongside learning. For pupils who are profoundly developmentally young, personalised timetables combine sensory experiences with physical and cognitive activities linked to individual EHCP goals. The emphasis is on what a child can use in everyday life: expressing a preference, communicating a need or making a choice.
Across the school, EQUALS focuses on useful life skills, while ImPACTS supports pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Its learning areas include physical development, communication and control over the surrounding environment. These are school curriculum approaches, rather than a promise that each nursery child follows the same programme.
Therapy is woven into teaching and daily routines. Occupational therapy includes classroom equipment adapted to pupils’ needs and individual activity programmes. The Total Communication Approach combines methods suited to each pupil; speech and language support can take place individually, in pairs or with a class. That makes communication part of ordinary learning, rather than solely a separate appointment.
Class teachers and therapists monitor progress, with smaller steps towards EHCP outcomes reviewed twice each term. Staff training covers autism, communication and sensory processing. The school’s specialist team includes occupational and speech and language therapists, alongside counselling and learning mentor support.
Home contact can happen through Class Dojo, a diary or conversations at collection. This gives parents a route to share changes that may affect their child’s day. When children change class, staff pass information to the next teacher, arrange a session with the new team and provide photographs for families to use at home.
Hot lunches can accommodate dietary requests and altered textures, with vegetarian and halal choices identified on menus. Packed lunches are another option. Speech and language therapists also support some pupils with swallowing, eating or drinking difficulties, connecting mealtime care with specialist input.
Every pupil needs an individual healthcare plan, refreshed annually. Medicines and creams administered at school require parental permission, and medication needs a prescription label. These arrangements make preparation for the school day a shared responsibility between home and staff.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Treat the next stage as a separate admissions decision. Chiltern Wood’s specialist placement process runs through the local authority: school SENCOs must submit specialist applications to their assigned Education, Health, & Care Co-ordinator for agreement at panel, with an offer dependent on both suitable provision and space.
Class transition arrangements can help a child become familiar with new adults and routines. They support preparation for a move; they do not establish an admissions advantage.
The school day runs from 8.50am to 3.10pm. Flexibility for families coordinating siblings at different schools permits arrival between 8.45am and 9.30am, and departure between 2.30pm and 3.15pm. These are school-wide timings.
To request a tour, email the enquiry form and a copy of your child’s EHCP to office@chilternwood.bucks.sch.uk. A senior leader then arranges a date. Clothing recommendations allow for sensory, physical and accessibility needs, with items obtainable from any retailer. Label clothing, and allow time for busy collection and drop-off periods involving families, staff and taxis.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Specialist placements at Chiltern Wood are offered by the local authority when the school can meet the child’s needs and has a suitable space.
Email the school tour enquiry form and your child’s EHCP to office@chilternwood.bucks.sch.uk. A member of the senior leadership team will contact you to arrange a date.
Hot meals can accommodate dietary requests and different textures. Menus identify halal and vegetarian choices, and children can bring a packed lunch instead.
Daily contact can take place through a diary, Class Dojo or conversations at drop-off and collection. Parents also participate in review meetings.
Information is shared with the new teacher, children have a transition session, and families receive photographs of children and adults to look at together at home.
