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Nursery at Frederick Holmes 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 can begin with a gesture, a sound or an eye movement here. Frederick Holmes School’s nursery sits within specialist provision for children with severe physical and learning disabilities, including profound and multiple needs. Children can start at two, joining Nursery, also called Foundation 1. This is an early education offer shaped around individual development.
The school is on Inglemire Lane in Hull. Its purpose-built setting includes sensory rooms, soft play, a rebound room and a hydrotherapy pool. These facilities belong to the wider school. Ofsted graded the early years provision Good following the inspection on 21 and 22 February 2023.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning through the foundation stage. In practical terms here, structured play and sensory exploration support communication, interaction, emotional wellbeing and independence. Activities and interventions are matched to children’s interests and developmental needs, so participation can look different from child to child.
For children learning through the sensory pathway, the Engagement Model tracks how they explore, anticipate, persist and initiate activity. The pathway uses IMPACTS for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties; children with complex autism follow the Fundamentals of Learning Social Partner Curriculum, drawn from SCERTS. These approaches break learning into small steps rather than expecting everyone to work towards the same task.
Intensive Interaction builds exchanges between an adult and child through expressions, gestures and vocal sounds. Sensory Stories, Attention Autism and Let’s Play provide contexts for those exchanges. Objects of Reference help children recognise routines and anticipate what happens next. Repetition matters: familiar activities give children further opportunities to respond and participate.
Stories are a daily feature across all classes. In February 2023, early years teachers shared books to encourage children’s interest in reading, while teaching about physical and mental health also began in early years. Elsewhere in the school’s learning environment, sensory rooms use projection, sound and lighting, with switches or tablets allowing pupils to influence the experience. The sensory pathway also includes Forest school and community learning, bringing exploration beyond the classroom.
Assessment in early years considers each child’s Education, Health and Care Plan and personalised learning outcomes. Progress is also checked using the Engagement Model or Pre-Key Stage Standards. For families, this means discussions about learning can focus on the child’s own targets and the small steps towards them.
Settling begins with information sharing. An initial assessment meeting brings together parents, professionals and previous staff to identify the support a child needs. Younger pupils often then have stay and play sessions. Familiarity is built gradually.
Children with medical needs have an individual Health Care Plan developed with families and medical professionals. Staff administering medicines receive training and approval for the task. Classroom hoists and specialist positioning equipment support physical access; physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams help match equipment to pupils’ needs.
Parents receive personalised learning plans each term and can attend termly progress discussions with the class teacher. Dojo provides another channel for contact. Together, these arrangements connect daily communication with longer conversations about what a child is working towards.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Contact Kingston Upon Hull LA about your child’s Reception placement process. The local authority controls admissions to Frederick Holmes School; Kingston Upon Hull LA can be contacted on 01482 331627.
Preparation for a new class is a different matter from securing a place. Internal transitions are personalised, with class teams collecting information from families and professionals so that learning and care arrangements reflect the child’s needs.
The school day for all pupils runs from 9:00 to 3:20. This gives families a school-day framework for planning care and travel.
For enquiries about the provision, contact the school team on 01482 804766 or email admin@frederickholmes.het.academy. Keep the educational enquiry and the local authority placement process distinct: understanding the nursery’s support arrangements is one part of deciding whether it suits your child.
Children can attend from two years old and join Nursery, also known as Foundation 1.
Children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage. Learning is personalised, with sensory pathways and the Engagement Model used where appropriate to developmental needs.
An initial assessment meeting gathers information from parents, professionals and previous staff. Younger pupils often have stay and play sessions afterwards.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. The local authority controls admissions to the school; contact Kingston Upon Hull LA on 01482 331627 about your child’s Reception placement process.
Parents can contact the class teacher through Dojo, receive termly personalised learning plans and attend termly progress reviews.
