Bexton Primary School Nursery Review

Three rooms give Bexton's nursery a clear shape: Cygnets 1 for younger two-year-olds, Cygnets 2 for children approaching three, and Swans for three- and four-year-olds. This is the school's own preschool provision, with a Nursery Building also used for early years after-school care. The room structure distinguishes the youngest children's starting point from the older group's emphasis on independence and preparation for school.

Stories become things to act out here. In Cygnets, children have explored Owl Babies and The Gingerbread Man through pretend play and retelling with other children. Both Cygnets rooms work with the same themes, while activities are adjusted to children's individual development. Construction, creative activities and outdoor play sit alongside role play; children are encouraged to attempt challenges appropriate to their age.

Swans takes that imaginative work further. A pretend airport and railway station have given children settings for playing out journeys. The Rainbow Fish and Lost and Found have supported conversations about kindness and friendship, while family trees have prompted children to consider their families and their own growth. These are concrete ways to connect stories with relationships and familiar experiences.

Nature also supplies material for learning. A visit involving three owls from Lower Moss Wood brought animals into the children's experience, while changes around them prompted exploration of minibeasts, butterflies and frogs. These are examples of activities undertaken, rather than a fixed timetable for each session.

Bexton follows the Early Years Foundation Stage. Its early years curriculum emphasises curiosity, language and initial understanding: for parents, that means learning includes talking, exploring and making sense of experiences. The school also includes nursery children in Bright Beginnings, an initiative organised around practical challenges matched to children's developmental stages. Bexton says its purpose is to build independence and confidence through experience.

Settling is the autumn priority in both Cygnets rooms. Swans puts greater emphasis on the practical independence children will need at school. In April 2023, Ofsted found that early years children became familiar with routines promptly, and that nursery children began their reading journey with songs and rhymes.

Support for additional needs sits within the wider school team, which includes two SENDCos and a Pastoral Lead. Families should raise concerns with their child's class teacher first; the teacher then involves the SENCo. Bexton describes an approach that brings parents into discussions about support, including dedicated meetings where more detailed discussion is needed.

Food has a clear place in Dawn2Dusk care. Breakfast is available until 8:30am, and children remaining after 4:30pm receive a substantial meal. Parents can send dietary requirements directly to the club, helping its staff plan around their child's needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the deadline for their intake. The Swans emphasis on independence is preparation for the next stage of learning; it should be understood separately from the allocation of a school place.

Nursery enquiries go to nursery@bexton.cheshire.sch.uk, or families can telephone 01565 632816. The nursery is on Blackhill Lane in Knutsford.

Dawn2Dusk provides additional care for nursery children, beginning at 8am and ending at 6pm. While a dedicated building is awaited, early years breakfast care uses the main school hall and after-school care uses the Nursery Building. Request a place through dawn2dusk@bexton.cheshire.sch.uk; staffing ratios limit places.

Holiday care is assessed each term according to parental interest and staffing capacity. If it runs, nursery children can attend, and they need a packed lunch. Ask the school for current charges. For after-school collection, tell club staff if another adult will collect your child, and the collecting adult must sign the child out.