Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery Review 2026: Nature led learning with a clear sense of belonging

There is no long results history yet, and that is normal for a school opened in September 2022. At the time of the June 2025 inspection, the school roll was 89 pupils and year groups in place included Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, with the curriculum planned through to Year 6 in anticipation of growth.

Given that context, the most useful academic signal is the strength of curriculum design and early reading foundations. The June 2025 Ofsted inspection graded Quality of Education as Good, alongside Good judgements for Behaviour and Attitudes, Leadership and Management, and Early Years Provision, with Personal Development graded Outstanding.

For parents, that combination typically reads as follows: the teaching and curriculum are working well, routines and culture are secure, and the school has built something unusually strong around wider development and experiences. It also indicates that leaders have put clear structures in place quickly, which is a key risk area in new schools.

Academic demand also tells its own story. For the Reception entry route captured there were 84 applications for 29 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed, at around 2.9 applications per place. That is a meaningful level of competition for a relatively new provision. (This demand data is most useful as a snapshot; admissions patterns can shift quickly as new housing phases complete and siblings enter the system.)

The curriculum is intentionally broad and ambitious, but with a distinctive centre of gravity: reading and the natural world. Reading is positioned as a core engine across subjects, not just as an English priority. In the inspection evidence, pupils were described as encountering a wide range of challenging and interesting texts across the curriculum, which supports both vocabulary development and background knowledge.

Phonics teaching is a particular focus in early years and key stage 1, with training used to secure consistent delivery and rapid support for pupils who fall behind. In practical terms, this is the kind of approach that tends to reduce later gaps, because decoding issues do not get to fossilise.

Oracy and precise language are also built in early. In nursery, children are described using the names and properties of 2D and 3D shapes confidently, and that emphasis on technical vocabulary continues through subjects as pupils get older. For many children, especially those who are less confident on paper early on, this kind of structured talk is a route into deeper understanding.

The area flagged for development is also clear and specific: some pupils’ handwriting and punctuation errors were not always being identified precisely enough through checks, which can lead to accuracy slipping across subjects. This is a practical, fixable improvement point, and one that matters because writing quality affects performance everywhere, not just in English books.

Because the school is still expanding and was operating with younger year groups in place at the time of the June 2025 inspection, transition patterns to secondary schools are not yet the dominant question families ask, in the way they might for a long established junior school.

What is more relevant for many families is continuity through the primary years. The school’s curriculum is sequenced through to Year 6 in preparation for growth, which suggests a planned through line rather than a series of short term projects. As cohorts reach upper key stage 2, families will be better able to judge how well the nature and sustainability emphasis translates into the full breadth of primary expectations, including writing stamina, mathematical fluency, and end of primary readiness.

For parents who want to keep options open, it is sensible to look at two things over the next few years: how consistently writing accuracy improves across subjects, and how the school maintains reading momentum as content becomes more complex. These are the levers that tend to predict smooth Year 7 transition, regardless of which secondary route a child takes.

Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery sits within Cornwall for local authority admissions, and Reception places follow the standard coordinated process. Cornwall Council’s published timetable for starting school in September 2026 set an application deadline of 15 January 2026.

The key point for parents is that having a child in nursery does not remove the need to apply for a Reception place through the coordinated system, and deadlines are strict. After the main round, late applications are still possible, but families should expect fewer available places and more reliance on movement and waiting lists.

Competition for places looks real rather than theoretical. The figures indicate 84 applications for 29 offers on the primary entry route captured, and the school is marked oversubscribed. With no published furthest distance at which a place was offered figure for this entry, families should treat location as important but verify the year by year reality through the local authority process and, when available, the school’s published allocations information. Parents shortlisting on proximity should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check practical distance, then compare that to the most recently published allocation pattern once those figures become available for the school.

For nursery, the school’s admissions pages indicate that families can apply via the school’s nursery admissions route, and the nursery promotes tours that are scheduled through the school calendar.

Pastoral strength is closely linked here to routine and relationships. The school is described as prioritising warm relationships and clear routines that support learning behaviours, including well practised classroom transitions that help children settle quickly into tasks. This kind of operational calm is not glamorous, but it is one of the best predictors of children feeling secure, especially in early years and key stage 1.

Inclusion is also positioned as a strength. Pupils with SEND are described as identified early and with precision, with support designed to help them learn the curriculum successfully rather than being separated from it. For families with emerging needs, the important practical question is how support is delivered day to day, and whether staff can keep pace as cohorts expand and needs diversify.

The school’s wider personal development work is also unusually prominent. Personal Development was graded Outstanding in June 2025, reflecting a structured approach to experiences, character education, and opportunities beyond the classroom that are mapped through a nature and sustainability focus.

Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were effective at the time of the June 2025 inspection.

The most distinctive enrichment here is built into the day rather than bolted on after 3pm. The school describes regular learning beyond the classroom through the meadow, the tipi outdoor classroom, and exploration of the Eden estate and biomes. A concrete example given in the inspection evidence is using the rainforest biome to support learning about Tanzania, connecting climate and landscape to a real environment. The implication for pupils is that abstract content is more likely to stick, because it is attached to memorable experiences.

Sustainability is not treated as a one week theme. The school highlights pupil leadership through Eco Club and Green Team activity, and notes achieving Plastic Free School Status through work linked to Surfers Against Sewage’s education programme. This signals a model where pupils are expected to take visible action, not just learn vocabulary.

For families who value confidence and communication, the emphasis on oracy is another important strand. The inspection evidence describes pupils as confident speakers who enjoy sharing what they know, and this is reinforced through the school’s culture language and structured personal development work. The likely benefit is for pupils who learn best through talk first, including those who need time before committing ideas to writing.

Clubs are referenced in the school’s personal development documentation, including examples such as singing and science clubs, though the exact club list appears to vary through the year. Parents who are choosing primarily on enrichment should check the current termly offer, because new schools often adapt clubs quickly as staffing, cohort age, and parent demand change.

Wraparound care is available, with breakfast club running from 7.30am to 8.45am, and after school club from 3.15pm to 5.30pm on weekdays. (Costs are published by the school; families should check the latest figures directly, as these can change.)

For nursery aged children, the nursery day is longer, with opening hours stated as 8am to 5.30pm, designed to support working parents.

Location is a defining practical factor. The school site is associated with the Eden Project setting, and the inspection report lists the address as Cherry Zone at the Eden Project. For day to day logistics, families should think about seasonal traffic and peak visitor periods, and test the real journey at drop off and pick up times before committing.

• A new school is still becoming a full primary. Opened in September 2022, and described as having Nursery through Year 2 in place at the June 2025 inspection, the experience is likely to change as older year groups fill and staffing expands. This suits families who like being part of a growing project, but it can feel less predictable than a long established primary.

• Entry is competitive. The figures show 84 applications for 29 offers on the primary entry route captured, and the school is marked oversubscribed. Families should plan for realistic alternatives in their application list.

• Writing accuracy is an active improvement area. The June 2025 inspection evidence flagged the need for more precise identification and correction of handwriting and punctuation errors for some pupils. If writing is a known vulnerability for your child, ask how this is being addressed across subjects.

• The nature and sustainability emphasis is central. For many children it will be motivating and memorable. If you prefer a more traditional, classroom centred model, it is worth checking that the approach matches your child’s learning style and your expectations.

Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery is a modern start up primary with an unusually coherent identity. The Eden partnership and the curriculum’s nature and sustainability spine give learning a clear context, and the school has been intentional about building belonging from the outset. The June 2025 graded inspection picture is reassuring, particularly around personal development and the security of routines, with a specific, practical improvement focus around writing accuracy.

Best suited to families who want a state primary with a strong outdoor and environment led ethos, and who are comfortable joining a school that is still growing into its full Year 6 shape.