St Mellion Church of England Primary School Nursery

Outdoor exploration and a classroom arranged into learning zones give St Mellion’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own provision for three- and four-year-olds, with a nursery manager leading the outdoor nursery. Early years sits within a school class structure that groups EYFS with Key Stage 1. For families, the combination is worth understanding: outdoor activity comes alongside classroom play and focused teaching.

Play and adult-led learning work together here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers children’s early learning and development; at St Mellion, children pursue interests through resources they can use independently, while teachers demonstrate possibilities and introduce further activities. The named Reggio Amelia approach shapes the classroom’s separate learning zones. Children have room to follow an idea, with adults adding knowledge and skills.

Home corners, puppets and construction sit alongside Curiosity Cubes and mark making. These give concrete form to imaginative play, exploring ideas and beginning to write. Stories, rhymes and poems support vocabulary and understanding, while focused teaching includes phonics, mathematics and learning about the world. Number work involves ordering, counting, measuring and early calculation. There is deliberate teaching as well as choice.

Outdoor learning brings nature and movement into the picture. Nursery children explore seasonal changes and practise physical challenges such as crawling, swinging and climbing, alongside solving problems together. In May 2023, Ofsted found that the outdoor nursery and the design of Class 1’s learning spaces helped children develop curiosity and confidence. Adults extended children’s language, and learning catered for different developmental stages. A separate school-wide concern at that inspection was that some wider curriculum learning needed further development so pupils could connect ideas more securely.

A nursery manager, school SENDCo and support staff form part of the team around children. Staff also receive training within the school and across the trust. For children with additional needs, the school uses a Record of Need and holds termly discussions involving parents or carers, the child and the class teacher to review targets and agree strategies. This gives families a regular opportunity to discuss support.

Precision matters. In May 2023, the school-wide SEND findings identified adaptations that did not consistently address individual learning barriers, overly general targets and too little input from children and parents. Families considering the nursery for a child with SEND should weigh that concern alongside the support arrangements.

The school uses the Thrive/TIS Approach for social and emotional learning. Individual Action Plans can involve play or arts activities, delivered individually or in small groups, and are shared with parents. Safeguarding arrangements include a designated lead and deputy, regular staff training and Safeguard My School for recording concerns and responses.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Becoming familiar with school life and securing a school place are separate matters; choosing this nursery should not be treated as securing Reception admission.

Nursery enquiries can go directly to mel.nursery@stbarnabasmat.com. School visits can be arranged by emailing mel.head@stbarnabasmat.com or calling 01579 350567, with opportunities to talk to staff, parents and children. The school is on Church Lane in St Mellion, Saltash, PL12 6RG.