The St Christopher School Nursery Review

Communication gives this provision its distinctive context: The St Christopher School embeds specialist language support across a special school where learning is organised around individual needs. Nursery provision forms part of the school in Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea. The school's age range begins at three; that is a school-wide starting age rather than a nursery age band.

At the inspection on 23 and 24 April 2024, Ofsted graded early years provision Outstanding. This is the early years judgement within the school's inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating. For parents, the distinction matters when weighing the provision against separately inspected settings.

The Early Years Foundation Stage has its own curriculum map. Staff assess early learning through watching children, interacting with them and applying professional judgement within the EYFS framework. Within the Pathway route, learning includes communication, early literacy, early mathematics and personal, social and health education (PSHE). This means progress takes account of how children communicate and engage as well as their developing skills. Alongside this, the school's communication approaches give parents a concrete picture of the tools used across the setting. Intensive Interaction uses shared experiences to develop connection and communication, while core communication boards give learners another way to express themselves. These approaches make communication possible through more than spoken language.

An in-house Speech and Language Therapy team works with staff to incorporate specialist approaches into learning. Makaton, Proloquo2go and Objects of Reference are among the school's additional communication systems and supports, selected around individual needs. They are options within the school's approach, rather than a prescribed package for every nursery child.

Therapeutic Thinking is another named approach. The school aims to make positive experiences and emotional regulation part of preparation for learning. For families, the relevant emphasis is on how a child feels and communicates alongside what they are learning.

Family support extends beyond classroom teaching. The family inclusion team communicates with parents and other professionals to help learners access support. Its role includes guidance and signposting, giving families a route into conversations about needs that affect their child's education.

Safeguarding responsibilities sit with a designated lead and deputies, and staff receive regular safeguarding training. Parents can raise a concern through the school office or by emailing safeguarding@tscs.southend.sch.uk. That provides a direct route for concerns about a child's safety.

The school lunch rotation includes macaroni cheese with sweetcorn and roast chicken accompanied by potatoes and vegetables. These are examples of school meals, rather than a promise about an individual nursery child's food arrangements.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Here, the central placement condition is an education, health and care (EHC) plan naming The St Christopher School, with specified exceptions for assessment or changed circumstances agreed with the relevant parties.

Ask the local authority to confirm how the child's EHC plan and placement arrangements apply to the move to Reception. Nursery attendance should not be treated as a substitute for confirming the child's placement arrangements.

The school office can be contacted on 01702 524193 or at office@tscs.southend.sch.uk. The address is Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4AW.

For illness-related absence, families must contact the school on each day their child is away. If getting a child into school becomes difficult, the school asks families to raise the problem promptly so that support can be discussed.