Upton Cross Academy Nursery Review

An outdoor area reserved for early years gives Upton Cross Academy’s youngest learners space of their own within the wider school. Upton Cross Pre-School is the academy’s nursery provision in Upton Cross, near Liskeard. Its setting combines a school forest with outdoor learning spaces, giving the curriculum a physical setting beyond the classroom.

The academy aims to use outdoor experiences to enrich children’s learning. For families drawn to exploration and practical activity, that emphasis is the clearest feature of its approach.

Playing, investigating and persevering shape the academy’s approach to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In plain parent language, the emphasis is on how children learn: trying something unfamiliar, concentrating on a task, making connections and developing their own ideas. These habits sit alongside the knowledge children are learning.

An outdoor area specifically for EYFS children provides a place for younger learners to play. Older pupils can volunteer as mentors to children in early years, adding contact with the wider school community. The forest and outdoor learning spaces also support the academy’s ambition to make learning practical and connected to the environment.

Read Write Inc is the early reading approach used in EYFS. Phonics connects spoken sounds with written letters, helping children work towards reading and spelling. Parents are encouraged to support reading through suitable books and phonics cards, providing a concrete link between learning at school and practice at home.

In June 2025, Ofsted identified early-years checks on children’s communication and language, with additional help for those who needed it. Children also practised recording familiar sounds in writing. The wider school’s improvement priority concerned writing accuracy: some pupils’ errors in letter formation, spelling and punctuation persisted because support and correction were insufficient. That concern was about some pupils across the school, rather than a nursery-specific judgement.

Support for additional needs has a defined team structure. A special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo), assisted by a SENDCo assistant, coordinates early intervention, with specialist advice from outside agencies. This gives families a route for discussing concerns about their child’s development and the support they may need.

Assessment in EYFS uses Tapestry. Across the academy, observations and conversations contribute to assessment, so children’s progress is considered through more than written work alone.

Safeguarding responsibilities sit with a designated lead and deputies at the academy. Trust staff receive safeguarding training, and concerns are logged electronically so the safeguarding team can track actions and a child’s history.

Attending Upton Cross Pre-School does not guarantee a Reception place at Upton Cross Academy. Nursery attendance and admission to Reception are separate processes. Families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions route; choosing the nursery should not be treated as securing the next school place.

Visits can be arranged through the school office. For enquiries or to organise a visit, call 01579 362519 or email uptoncross@kernowlearning.co.uk.

Wraparound age limits. Breakfast Club and Tea Time Club serve children aged 4 to 11. Families with younger nursery children should therefore keep that age restriction in mind when considering childcare around the school day.