Salcombe Preparatory School Nursery Review

Daily phonics and child-led play share the timetable at Salcombe’s Pre-School. This is nursery provision with a clear classroom element, alongside cooking, stories and outdoor exploration. It serves children aged 3 to 4 at the Green Road site in Southgate, within the school’s Pre-Prep provision. Children can start in the term of their third birthday.

The setting occupies an English Heritage-listed building, with classrooms complemented by interactive adventure zones and surfaces designed for play in all weather. Those physical spaces give children scope to move and explore alongside their classroom learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines creative play with daily English, phonics and maths lessons here. In parent terms, learning involves language, early number skills, movement and emotional development, rather than reading and writing alone. Maths topics include shapes, patterns and measurement, connecting early concepts with practical situations.

Child-initiated play sits alongside cooking, pencil control and activities developing small hand movements. Forest School, Story & Rhyme and Music & Movement also appear in the subject programme. Weekly specialist teaching includes PE, Music and Modern Foreign Languages; art takes place in the children’s classrooms, while the Head of Music leads their weekly music sessions. The day therefore includes both children’s own choices and teaching led by adults.

Children take books home and read with older Prep School buddies, extending storytelling beyond their own class. In its October 2023 inspection, ISI found that early-years children progressed well, with activities developing vocabulary, physical skills and emotional understanding. Adults matched activities to individual needs and encouraged children to attempt more demanding tasks; children were absorbed in learning and play, in a settled, attentive atmosphere. These findings concern early years across the school, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

A Pre-School Lead Teacher holds an NNEB Diploma in Nursery Nursing. For children needing additional support, the whole-school SENDCo works with their key person, parents and relevant external professionals. Support follows an Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycle, with individual support plans reviewed each term. Families contribute to planning, giving them a defined role in decisions about their child’s needs.

Accessibility. The January 2026 accessibility plan identifies heavy internal doors at Green Road and limited space for individual or small-group interventions. It also records a lack of dedicated sensory regulation areas at that point. Families whose children need these adjustments should weigh the physical setting alongside the support arrangements.

Meals are prepared daily on site with Thomas Franks Ltd, including bread baked by the catering team. Menus accommodate vegetarian diets, allergies and other dietary requirements. Snacks are included for all Pre-School children; lunch is included with morning and full-day attendance.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Salcombe’s October 2025 admissions policy makes an important distinction: progression is normally automatic, but a place can be declined where the child’s development or support needs cannot be accommodated in Reception. Its Early Years page describes this internal move as requiring no new application.

For children applying to join Reception, the school’s own route involves registration, an informal assessment in the autumn before entry and an admissions meeting. Internal progression and admission from outside should therefore be understood separately. As practical preparation for the next stage, Pre-School children are expected to attend five full days during the summer term.

Full days run from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Morning attendance ends at 12:30pm, when afternoon sessions begin. The minimum booking is five sessions each week, combining half or full days subject to availability. Extra sessions can be arranged with a few days’ notice, subject to staffing.

Term-time care extends attendance through the Early Morning Club, from 8am to 8:30am, and the After School Club for Pre-School children, from 3:30pm to 6pm. Parents book wraparound requirements through Cognita Connect.

Funding and extras. The 15-hour entitlement starts in the term after a child turns three, but the number of funded places is limited, and funding applies only to certain sessions. Funding is deducted from eligible fees excluding lunches; additional hours and services are charged separately. Ask the Admissions Team for current charges and the applicable session conditions. Enquiries can be made on 020 8441 5356, and personal tours are offered across the week.