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Nursery at Manorside Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A globe, a story and a child’s own ideas give Manorside’s nursery its character. In July 2025, nursery children explored East Africa using a globe, a concrete example of learning that reaches beyond their immediate surroundings. This is the school’s own nursery, on the Manorside Academy site in Parkstone, Poole, welcoming children once they turn three.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its inspection on 8 and 9 July 2025. That judgement covers early years within the academy; it is not a separate nursery rating.
Play chosen by children has a substantial place here, with adults helping them develop their ideas. Guided activities and direct teaching sit alongside it. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects language, movement and emotional development with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. For parents, that means learning extends beyond practising letters and numbers.
Read Write Inc. supplies the nursery phonics programme. Children’s progress is checked half-termly, and further sounds are introduced only once earlier skills can be used confidently. Story conversations build vocabulary; early writing includes attempting names and forming letters. Maths involves matching objects to numbers up to five and exploring repeating patterns, making abstract ideas practical.
Indoors and outdoors both contribute to learning. Construction kits and blocks support imaginary worlds, while planting seeds introduces care for living things. The nursery projects include People Who Help Us and Into the Woods, with activities such as making police badges and preparing Gruffalo Crumble. These give talk, making and investigation a shared purpose. A Zones of Regulation board in each classroom helps children recognise and manage feelings.
A key person gives each child a familiar adult to turn to. Settling includes Stay & Play, home visits, workshops for parents and All About Me activities completed at home. These create opportunities to share a child’s interests before nursery routines become familiar. Daily conversations with practitioners keep information flowing; nursery Learning Journeys are sent half-termly to help families support learning at home.
The team includes a nursery class lead, practitioners with Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, and apprentices. For additional needs, communication boards, Makaton and picture prompts are among the planned adaptations. The academy’s SENDCo and Inclusion Team provide a route for discussing support.
Additional support. School-wide concerns in July 2025 included SEND targets that were insufficiently precise and assessment that sometimes failed to reveal gaps in understanding. These were not identified as nursery-only findings. Families needing extra support should discuss the intended targets and how progress will be checked.
Daily snacks and cooking ingredients are among the extras supported by voluntary consumables contributions. Nursery families can also buy hot lunches through ParentPay, with payment due by midnight on Tuesday for the next week.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through BCP Council within the normal admissions timetable.
For entry in 2027/28, nursery attendance before the year of compulsory school age gives oversubscription priority after looked-after and previously looked-after children, qualifying staff children and siblings. This is a place in the priority order, not an assured offer. For the 2026/27 cycle, the nursery criterion applies to children living outside the catchment area, so the entry year matters.
Preparation is separate from allocation. The nursery programme includes classroom visits, a transition day and Stay & Play picnics, giving children opportunities to become familiar with their next setting.
Choose a morning session from 9am to noon, an afternoon from noon to 3pm, or a full day from 9am to 3pm. Breakfast Club runs from 7:45am to 9am; shorter wraparound options run from 8:45am to 9am and 3pm to 3:15pm.
Regular bookings need advance agreement in writing from the nursery manager. Ad hoc sessions can be requested with at least one week’s notice. Late collection after 3pm attracts a charge.
Funded childcare covers basic care and early education. Contributions towards consumables are optional, with no obligation to pay; families may instead supply items such as snacks or sun cream. Consumables are included in additional paid hours. Contact the school for current charges.
Arrange a nursery tour and meet the team by calling 01202 723 931 or 01202 380103, or emailing office@manorside-academy.co.uk. Nursery applications can be sent to the school office.
Children can join once they have turned three.
Yes. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon and afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm. A full day runs from 9am to 3pm.
Children have a key person, with Stay & Play opportunities, home visits, parent workshops and All About Me activities supporting the transition.
No. Contributions are voluntary, and families may provide items such as snacks, sun cream or cooking ingredients themselves. Consumables are included in additional paid hours.
No. A separate BCP Council application is required. Nursery attendance carries conditional oversubscription priority, with the criteria differing between the 2026/27 and 2027/28 entry years.
