Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School: Nursery Review

Play, language and a gradual start shape nursery life at Wallands. Children begin alongside a parent or carer, try a short independent stay, then build towards a longer session. That gives the move from home to nursery a manageable pace.

For children aged three and four, this is the nursery within Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School on Gundreda Road in Lewes. Its accommodation occupies the lower level of the early years area, with access along an outside slope through a secure gate. Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection.

Learning combines children's own play with adult-led activities, group work and investigations. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early number work, books, creative expression and discovery of the world, alongside movement, relationships and communication. Language and vocabulary receive explicit attention, giving children words to explain their ideas and join in with others.

Children explore, solve problems together and revisit activities with time to practise. Books support learning across the curriculum, while Sounds Write is the named early years phonics approach. Adults model behaviour and use reflection to help children understand boundaries and manage their responses.

Space matters here. In September 2022, the indoor accommodation and outdoor learning areas were spacious and equipped for learning across the EYFS. Planning could change to incorporate children's interests, giving their curiosity a place in the day. The same inspection required the school to strengthen staff expertise so phonics teaching was implemented consistently across classes. Families should distinguish the named programme from that dated concern about its delivery.

Settling begins before the first full session. Home visits and parent induction provide opportunities to discuss individual children, while the staged nursery start lets them practise separation in smaller steps. In September 2022, children entering early years settled promptly, and adults knew families well.

Tapestry and Class Dojo carry photographs and updates home. Parents also have two consultation meetings each year and receive a written account of progress when their child finishes nursery. These give families both everyday glimpses and scheduled opportunities for discussion.

For a child attending all day, the nursery's 2025/26 arrangements offered a paid hot lunch or a packed lunch from home. Chartwells supplies school meals and has a medical diet team supporting families with allergies and intolerances.

Additional needs are monitored through observation during nursery learning and play. The school's SEND process involves parents in planning and reviewing support, with specialist advice sought when appropriate and agreed. Personal care needs are addressed through individual healthcare plans developed with children and parents, making those discussions part of preparation for attendance.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal East Sussex admissions process by its normal deadline. The school's September 2024 admissions policy explicitly excludes nursery attendance from allocation factors; the linked 2026/27 criteria likewise give it no priority. Choosing nursery should therefore be a decision about these early years, not an assumption about a later place.

Familiarity is developed separately. The Harbour programme lets nursery children spend time in other early years classrooms and learning spaces throughout the year. Joint activities introduce the Reception setting, and staff meetings share children's developing needs. These support transition, rather than changing admission rights.

The 2025/26 nursery schedule lists weekday, term-time sessions: mornings run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. It also includes care before nursery from 7.30am and an after-school club ending at 6pm. Morning nursery children wait at the Nursery gate for the 9am start.

That schedule describes 15 funded hours each week over 38 weeks, beginning the term after a child's third birthday, and acceptance of 30-hour funding for eligible families subject to places. Additional attendance is charged, with payment normally due in advance each term. Ask the school for current charges. Ending a nursery place requires at least four weeks' written notice.

Nursery logo sweatshirts come in blue, green, red or yellow. For enquiries, contact office@wallands.org or call 01273 472776; the office also arranges visits by appointment.