Abbey Court Foundation Special School Nursery

Play, discovery and making choices shape Abbey Court’s nursery for children with severe and profound needs. This is specialist early education: opportunities to interact and form friendships sit alongside learning through play, with children exploring both inside and outside.

The nursery shares the Cliffe Road site in Strood with the primary and secondary provision. Abbey Court serves pupils aged 3–19, but the nursery’s character is distinct: its focus is the earliest steps in exploration, relationships and independence.

Children’s own interests help shape the day. The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), combining play chosen by children with activities organised by adults at different points during the day. In parent language, that means learning by investigating the world, trying things and spending time with other children, rather than relying only on adult direction. Making a decision is part of learning too.

Indoor classrooms and outdoor learning areas provide space for that exploration. The nursery aims to help children become more confident in what they can do, make their own choices and develop relationships. Those aims give everyday play a clear purpose: a child’s preference, interaction or discovery matters alongside the activity itself.

Shared school resources add physical detail to this approach. The primary provision has a soft play room, with colourful three-dimensional forms designed to help younger pupils explore differences in size, space and shape. Across Abbey Court, sensory learning is supported within classrooms as well as in purpose-built spaces. These provide ways to explore preferences and engagement through sensory experiences.

In March 2023, Ofsted found that individual adaptations to the curriculum extended from the early years through to the sixth form. For nursery families, the relevant finding is that learning was adjusted to the individual child from the outset.

Preparation begins before a pupil starts: a class teacher makes a home visit as part of the school’s assessment process. An initial assessment then draws on the child’s education, health and care plan (EHCP) to establish an Individual Education Plan. That gives information about the child a practical role in deciding what to teach and how to support learning.

Assessment considers how a pupil communicates and functions day to day, alongside emotional, physical, intellectual and social development. The school aims to build learning around what each child can do. This keeps the focus on the individual rather than a disability label.

Every EYFS class has a designated staff member with paediatric first aid training. Teaching assistants throughout the school also receive Emergency First Aid training, and classrooms have their own first aid kits. These are concrete arrangements for responding to care needs during activities.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Reception admission is a separate process, so families need to apply again through the normal route and meet the relevant deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and securing the next school place as separate decisions.

Morning nursery sessions run from 9.00am to 12.00pm; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. These are distinct session windows, so families should plan their day around the nursery times rather than those of older pupils.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01634 338220 or email office@abbeycourt.medway.sch.uk. The nursery site is at Cliffe Road, Strood, Kent ME2 3DL.