Tiny Trees Nursery at Lostwithiel School

Chickens, a sand and water garden, and access to forest school give Tiny Trees a distinctly outdoor character. This is Lostwithiel School’s nursery, welcoming children from age two into a purpose-built space. Play is central to its approach: the nursery aims to develop curiosity and independence through children’s everyday exploration.

The pre-school occupies the lower part of the school site, alongside the early years classrooms. At the Ofsted inspection on 16 and 17 March 2022, early years provision was judged Good. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separate nursery inspection.

Outdoor exploration has several settings here. Children have access to the school field, a garden and forest school, as well as the sand and water garden. These give play different materials and surroundings, rather than confining exploration to one outdoor area. Children can also meet the chickens and the therapy dog.

Inside, Tiny Trees has a purpose-built space for play and learning. The nursery places particular emphasis on communication, aiming to surround children with language as they explore. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings care, development and learning together during the years before age five; here, play and conversation are central to the nursery’s stated approach.

Adult interaction adds direction to that play. In March 2022, early years staff used questions thoughtfully to extend children’s learning. For parents, the useful detail is the combination of exploration and adult conversation: children have things to investigate and adults who help them think about what they are doing.

A nursery manager works with nursery assistants. Communication with home includes Tapestry, the online learning journal used for all early years children at Lostwithiel. Photographs, videos and staff observations let families follow learning beyond the nursery session. Parents can contribute their own posts too, giving staff a view of experiences at home.

Regular updates about progress and the curriculum were part of the early years provision in March 2022. This included helping parents understand the approach to phonics.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school uses a cycle of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing it. Student Success Plans involve families and receive termly reviews. This gives parents regular opportunities to discuss whether support needs adjusting.

Attending Tiny Trees does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Cornwall Council admissions route.

For the September 2026 intake, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past; nursery enrolment must not be treated as the Reception application.

Transition support is a separate matter. Children with SEND can receive individually arranged additional visits and more detailed handovers from their previous setting. These arrangements help staff prepare for a child’s needs; they do not secure admission.

Tiny Trees offers funded and non-funded places from age two. Families can arrange a nursery visit through the nursery administrator by calling 01208 872339 or emailing lostwithieltinytrees@los.celtrust.org.

The school address is Bodmin Hill, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0AJ. Across the school’s sloping site, routes include steps and sloped pathways, with wheelchair-suitable pathways and handrails on steps. For families considering physical access, the nursery’s position on the lower site is a useful practical detail.