St Martin's CofE Primary School Nursery Review

A scramble net, a rope bridge and a mud kitchen give St Martin's nursery its outdoor character. Children start from three years old at this school nursery on Lake Lane in Liskeard, with learning about plants, animals and seasonal changes woven into physical exploration and working together.

Indoor learning has its own place, too. Separate indoor and outdoor nursery leads reflect the two parts of the provision. Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 23 and 24 May 2023; this was an early years judgement within the school inspection.

Play and focused teaching work alongside each other. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines children's own exploration with adults demonstrating skills and introducing knowledge. Indoors, a zoned classroom follows the school's Reggio Amelia approach, with selected resources that children can use to pursue their interests. Adults add to those resources and show children what they can do with them. That gives independent play a teaching purpose.

Home corners, construction and puppets provide different starting points for imaginative play. Counting, ordering, measuring and early calculation form part of the mathematics teaching. Language begins with listening and telling: children hear traditional tales, experiment with sounds and rhyme, and make marks. Through the Helicopter Story approach, they invent stories aloud and act them out, giving their ideas a physical as well as a spoken form.

Outside, the activities are practical. Children can sow seeds, water plants, investigate minibeasts and build dens. The climbing wall and scramble net bring physical challenges; the boat provides a setting for pretend play. Pulleys and heavy logs introduce another kind of problem to solve, linking movement with thinking.

In May 2023, outdoor tasks were planned to connect with indoor learning, and children persisted with challenges, shared resources and practised taking risks. Regular pony visits also prompted curiosity and helped develop conversation and listening. Outdoor learning here has a clear role beyond exercise.

The indoor nursery lead holds a level 3 preschool practitioner qualification and leads indoor sessions daily. The nursery team also includes an outdoor lead and nursery assistants. Across the trust's outdoor nurseries, staff collaborate with an EYFS phase leader, providing a structure for sharing practice between settings.

For children with additional needs, the school's support arrangements include a Record of Need for learning, communication or physical difficulties. Parents and carers meet the class teacher termly to review targets and agree the next steps. The Speech and Language Team contributes assessments, individual sessions and resources. These arrangements give families a concrete way to discuss a child's needs and follow their progress.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Cornwall local authority route by the normal deadline. Treat that application as a distinct step when planning your child's move to school.

Preparation for that move includes stories and rhymes. In May 2023, nursery children were developing the listening experience that would help them begin Reception. Learning preparation and the allocation of a place are separate matters.

The nursery is at St Martin's CofE Primary School, Lake Lane, Liskeard, PL14 3DE. For enquiries or to arrange a look around, telephone 01579 344042 or email st-martins@stbarnabasmat.com. An appointment can also be arranged through the school office. A visit offers a useful opportunity to discuss the nursery's indoor and outdoor learning with staff.