Sundon Lower School Nursery Review

Story props, climbing frames and a snack table give Sundon’s nursery curriculum a practical character: children learn through conversation, movement and doing things for themselves. Nursery children belong to Swan Class, which also includes Reception. That mixed-age organisation places the nursery within the school’s early-years provision.

The 2025–26 arrangements allowed places during the term children turned three, subject to availability. Sundon Lower School is on Streatley Road in Upper Sundon. For families considering this nursery, the useful distinction is between joining the school’s daily life and securing a later school place. Those are separate decisions.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, personal development, physical skills, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative work. Sundon’s 2023–24 curriculum gives these areas concrete nursery goals, including developing conversation, writing letters from a child’s name and learning to handle scissors. These are steps towards independence as well as classroom learning.

Reading begins with listening and play. The curriculum includes rhymes, body percussion, story props and small-world figures, giving children ways to hear patterns in language and retell a story before writing it. Its nursery goals refer to Read Write Inc sounds and oral sounding-out. Ofsted’s July 2024 inspection confirmed that early reading teaching begins in nursery, alongside a vocabulary focus extending from the early years.

Number learning also has everyday uses. Children count flour by the spoonful, compare quantities with dot cards and connect amounts with numerals. Sand and water containers introduce capacity; blocks and polydrons support construction and shape exploration. Outdoors, wheeled toys, balancing and climbing on A-frames develop coordination. These activities make mathematical and physical ideas something children can try for themselves.

During Spring 2025, Swan Class made obstacle courses inspired by Let’s All Creep Through Crocodile Creek and built a friendship den for sharing ideas. Winter activities included making bird feeders and painting ice. These examples show how stories and seasonal exploration can connect movement, talk and creative work.

The July 2024 inspection also identified school-wide inconsistencies in checking understanding, adapting tasks and staff expertise in explaining subjects. These concerns were not identified specifically as nursery findings, but give families useful questions about how adults respond when a child needs another explanation or more challenge.

A key person supports children’s initial exploration where needed. The nursery curriculum treats forming that relationship and becoming comfortable separating from a carer as early milestones. Settling therefore involves familiarity with an adult as well as getting used to activities and routines.

Self-care is part of learning. Children practise pouring drinks, using utensils at the snack table and washing their hands; toilet use begins with adult support. Cooking and tasting activities encourage children to express food preferences. School catering is provided by Aspens, and the school creates individual care plans for food allergies, with dietary needs communicated to the kitchen manager.

For SEND, the school uses an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle with parents involved throughout. Support can include small groups, additional adult help and advice from outside agencies. Teachers meet parents at least once a term to discuss needs and progress. Ramped access, wide doors and an accessible toilet are practical features for families to consider alongside their child’s support needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority’s common application form, which can be submitted online.

For the 2025–26 admissions cycle, nursery attendance did not confer Reception priority at Sundon. The criteria instead covered circumstances including care status, qualifying staff children, catchment and siblings. Familiarity with Swan Class should therefore be considered separately from the allocation of a school place.

The school office handles nursery enquiries: email office@sundonlower.co.uk or telephone 01525 872357. Families can also contact the school to arrange a visit.

The 2025–26 arrangements provided for charged part-time or full-time places during the term children turned three, and a free part-time place from the following term, in each case subject to availability. Contact the school for current charges.

The school requires uniform and asks families to label clothing and belongings. Prestige Design and Workwear supplies uniform. Collection also has a practical safeguard: an adult unfamiliar to the dismissing member of staff must give the agreed password before a child is released.