Penbridge Infant School & Nursery: Nursery Review

Sound walks, games and coloured thinking hats give Penbridge’s nursery learning a distinctive shape. Listening comes first: children practise telling sounds apart, while the early years approach gives them language for discussing feelings and positive thinking. These are concrete starting points for learning to communicate.

Little Thinkers is the nursery at Penbridge Infant School, whose infant site is on Lincoln Road in Portsmouth. In September 2022, nursery children included two-year-olds, who had built relationships with their key person within their first few days.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning here includes talking about how children think as well as developing early reading skills. Thinking hats are the named approach used in early years. Red represents feelings; yellow represents positivity. The colours give children a simple way to discuss ideas that might otherwise feel abstract.

For nursery children, Phase 1 phonics means listening closely and recognising differences between sounds. Games and sound walks put that practice into activity. The emphasis is on hearing and distinguishing sounds, giving parents a clear picture of the nursery’s starting point for reading.

Topics include Seasons, All About Me and Change, alongside Stories and Christmas Festivals. These give learning a focus around children’s experiences and the world around them. In September 2022, early reading also involved making letter shapes using sand or paint, bringing physical mark-making into the work.

There is a curriculum concern to weigh alongside those examples. The September 2022 inspection identified weak sequencing in mathematics between early years and Key Stage 1. Early years leaders needed clearer learning endpoints so children could build mathematical understanding more logically. For families, continuity in early maths is a useful point to discuss.

In September 2022, nursery children had quickly developed connections with their key person, and adults responded attentively to young children’s needs. A comfortable resting space was available when children became tired. Care therefore included somewhere to pause, as well as support with joining nursery routines.

Across Penbridge, parents can raise concerns about additional needs with the class teacher or SENCo. Support can involve teaching assistants working individually or with small groups, and specialist equipment such as pencil grips or wobble cushions. This is the school’s wider support structure, with provision shaped around individual needs.

Attending nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Portsmouth’s Local Authority issues admission forms, which can be returned to the Portsmouth Admissions Team at the Civic Offices.

Transition support is a separate matter. Penbridge’s school transition arrangements include opportunities to meet new teachers and explore the site, with additional visits for children needing more time. Social stories can also help some children prepare for change. These practices support familiarity; they do not secure admission.

Nursery enquiries can go to the infant office on 0333 360 2185 or to office@penbridgeschool.org.uk. School visits can be arranged through the office by appointment, giving families a direct route to meet staff and discuss nursery attendance.