Peacehaven Heights Academy Nursery

Stories, rhymes and learning to take turns give Peacehaven Heights Academy’s nursery its character. There are 21 places, with provision starting at age three. Early years is based at the infant site on Roderick Avenue, rather than the academy’s Hoddern Avenue site. That distinction matters when planning the daily journey.

The early years provision was judged Good at the Ofsted inspection on 26 and 27 November 2024. This is an early years judgement within the school’s inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Listening comes before reading here. Nursery children practise recognising sounds and share stories and rhymes with staff. These activities give young children a starting point for paying attention to spoken language.

Learning also includes the social business of playing together. Children in early years practise sharing and waiting for their turn: small, concrete steps towards getting along with other children. Alongside this, staff use predictable routines to help children understand expectations during learning and play. For a child starting nursery, that means getting used to how a group works as well as joining in with activities.

In November 2024, children in early years became comfortable quickly, supported by routines that were clear and steady. The practical strength here is predictability: children have a consistent framework for understanding what to do while they learn and play.

Lunch is a family responsibility for children who stay all day. Parents supply it, so the midday meal needs to be part of the packing routine. For enquiries about special educational needs and disabilities, the school has a SENCo contact at senco@peacehavenheightsacademy.org. This gives families a direct route for discussing their child’s needs.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, meeting the normal deadline. The application route is through East Sussex County Council, which handles the allocation of school places on behalf of STEP Academy Trust.

Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions. A nursery place is an arrangement for the child’s nursery education; the later school application still needs to be made.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. The nursery’s daily opening hours are 9am to 3pm, with children also able to stay all day. These timings make the choice between a shorter session and a day spanning lunchtime a practical one for families.

Allocated government-funded 15 hours can be used, with paid top-up hours if required; some 30-hour places are offered. Contact the school for current charges. Children are expected to wear uniform.

To apply, email the nursery application form to the academy office at office@peacehavenheightsacademy.org. Thursday open mornings can be booked through the office, giving families a chance to tour before deciding.