Hornsea Nursery School: Learning Through Doing

Independent baking, a model Humber Bridge and outdoor woodwork give Hornsea’s nursery provision a distinctly practical character. Children learn by making, testing and talking, with independence running through both their projects and everyday care routines.

Children can join after their second birthday, subject to a place being available, and stay until they move to primary or infant school. The provision occupies a single-storey building on Willows Drive, with disabled access and facilities. This is nursery education with its own identity, rather than an introduction to one particular primary school.

Play develops into investigations shaped by children’s interests. The curriculum combines four strands: Love of Language, Executive Functioning, Your Community and STEAM, which brings together science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Birth to 5 matters guides the understanding of children’s development; Reggio Emilia, Montessori and Steiner provide inspiration for the approach.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers early reading and number work alongside communication, movement, relationships, creativity and understanding the world. Here, those areas connect through practical tasks. Building a Humber Bridge model, for example, gave children an engineering problem to explore together. Early writing begins with sensory work and control of the hands and body, while sound activities develop listening and language. Learning starts well before pencil meets paper.

Physical spaces make that approach tangible. There is an art studio, a sensory room and a children’s kitchen where baking skills develop towards independence. Outside, a large beach and mound sit within the outdoor space. Forest School and Beach School extend the opportunities to learn outdoors. Children climb, dig and use the mud kitchen, including in wet or cold conditions, building movement skills and an understanding of safety.

The February 2026 Ofsted inspection judged curriculum and teaching to be Strong standard. Its next step was to keep adapting the approach to child development as cohorts and future demands change, so the provision continues to serve children’s needs.

Each group has a key teacher, often supported by a Leader in Learning. Predictable routines and reassuring responses help children settle; adults teach emotional vocabulary and offer simple choices when children become upset. Dressing, handwashing and toileting are learning opportunities too, giving children repeated practice in caring for themselves.

In February 2026, inclusion was judged Exceptional and safeguarding standards were met. Individual support plans specify goals, resources and provision, with particular attention to physical and emotional development. Sensory experiences, including the indoor sandpit, help children become calm and ready to participate. A SEND coordinator and a language specialist who works with Speech & Language add specialist support.

Tapestry gives parents access to photographs, videos and their child’s learning journal, with opportunities to contribute observations from home. Snacks, milk and water are accessible during sessions; children help themselves, eat together and wash their dishes afterwards. Allergen information is available on request. Children staying for Lunch Club bring a packed lunch, so families prepare that meal themselves.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions process. Choosing this nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself.

Preparation for the next stage is practical: children learn to follow increasingly complex instructions, take conversational turns and work through problems together. Independence in personal care and familiarity with group routines are useful skills to take to a new school.

Term-time opening runs Monday to Friday, from 7:30am to 5pm. Core sessions are 8:30–11:30am and 12:10–3:10pm, with Lunch Club between them. Early Risers covers 7:30–8:30am; After School Club finishes at 4:55pm, with families off site by 5pm. These options allow care to extend around the educational sessions.

Booking commitment. A minimum of four sessions applies, and places involving 25 or more hours each week receive priority. Shorter bookings may be considered exceptionally. Families need a pattern that fits those conditions. Permanently cancelling sessions requires four weeks’ written notice; that rule does not apply to term-time holidays or medical absences.

Children aged three and four can use their 15-hour funded entitlement, with an additional 15 hours where eligible. Additional time is charged, and the school operates a voluntary School Fund. Ask the office for current charges. Uniform is optional. Applications can be emailed to hornsea.nursery@eastriding.gov.uk, and enquiries go through the office on 01964 534396. Tell staff if someone different will collect your child, and telephone if collection will be late.