Cutcombe Church of England First School Nursery

Learning to care for the natural world starts early at Cutcombe. Outdoor learning reaches into the early years, giving the nursery a connection with the school's Generation Exmoor project. Children can join from age 2, within the school's own pre-school provision.

This is a school-attached nursery with relationships extending across the staff team. In February 2025, staff knew the youngest pre-school children well. For a family choosing an early start in a school setting, that familiarity matters alongside the activities themselves.

Generation Exmoor gives outdoor learning a purpose: children learn about looking after their environment. In February 2025, this work was developing children's ability to solve problems and work together. The emphasis is on doing something together, with care for the natural world providing the task.

Younger children were enthusiastic about joining activities and showing others what they had learned. Their eagerness gives the day a positive starting point, but participation and social practice need to go together. Social routines. In February 2025, routines for younger children were not consistently established, leaving some children without opportunities to practise and develop social skills such as taking turns. Families should weigh that concern alongside the benefits of collaborative outdoor learning.

At that point, changes intended to strengthen the early years were still at an early stage. The nursery's day therefore needs to be considered through both its outdoor work and the developing routines around shared activities.

Familiar adults are a concrete strength of the pre-school experience: the February 2025 finding that staff knew its youngest children well supports that picture of personal attention.

Across the Moorland Federation, identifying additional needs involves observations, conversations with families and discussion with the special educational needs coordinator, or SENDCo. This gives parents' knowledge of their child a place alongside staff assessment. The federation's SEND process also checks interventions from their beginning to their end, adjusts support when necessary and keeps parents informed each term through an individual education plan, or IEP.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for school as separate decisions.

For children joining the Foundation Stage, the federation offers Stay and Play sessions so families can meet staff and become familiar with school. A child with professionally identified SEND has a school entry planning meeting involving the family and professionals from both settings. These are transition arrangements, separate from the allocation of a place.

Contact Cutcombe on 01643 841462 to arrange a visit and discuss your child's placement directly with staff. A visit provides an opportunity for that conversation before deciding whether to join.