Springhead School Nursery Review

Play with an individual purpose shapes Springhead’s nursery: children work towards personal learning targets, with activities adapted to their needs. This is early years within a specialist school for cognition and learning in Scarborough, with provision for two-year-olds. Its character is defined by that specialist context.

Early Years is based at Barry’s Lane, alongside primary and secondary classes. Springhead caters for children whose learning needs may accompany autism, physical disabilities or complex medical needs. For families, the relevant question is how that combination of needs shapes an individual child’s learning and care.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supplies the curriculum framework. In parent language, this brings communication, movement and emotional development together with early reading, maths, creative expression and understanding the world. Learning happens through play. Springhead uses continuous provision, with a termly theme providing a focus for activities and individual targets guiding what each child works on.

Across the school, learning also extends beyond classrooms into outdoor and community settings. Barry’s Lane has a hydrotherapy pool fitted with light and sound equipment. This is a concrete feature of the wider school environment, distinct from the nursery’s play-based curriculum.

Individual needs also shape Springhead’s approach to behaviour. Emotion coaching and sensory programmes are among the school’s strategies, with multidisciplinary working used wherever possible. The approach recognises that behaviour may relate to sensory needs, development or difficulty communicating. For a young child, that places the reason behind a response within the support conversation.

Staff across Springhead receive training in de-escalation and, where necessary, physical intervention through Securicare. Welfare concerns can be raised with a designated safeguarding leader or deputy. The school normally discusses concerns with parents or carers before sharing information with other agencies, except where doing so would conflict with the child’s interests or there is significant risk or immediate danger.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Requests for places at Springhead come directly from the local authority. Confirm your child’s Reception placement arrangements with the school and local authority; familiarity with the school is not a promise of a later place.

The school day runs from 9am to 3pm, totalling 30 hours a week. These are school-wide hours, so they describe the wider timetable rather than a nursery session booking model.

Prospective families can arrange a visit by contacting Springhead directly. For Early Years enquiries, telephone 01723 367829 or email admin@springhead.n-yorks.sch.uk. A visit provides a practical starting point for discussing whether the specialist provision suits your child.