Paces School for Conductive Education Nursery

Physical development, communication and academic learning belong together at Paces. Its nursery sits within a school whose conductive education approach combines these strands, making the relationship between movement and learning central to understanding the provision. For parents, the focus is on how a child participates and communicates as well as what they learn.

The school’s age range starts at 3. Its address is Thorncliffe Hall, Newton Chambers Road, Sheffield, S35 2PH. Nursery provision is part of the school, so the early years sit within its wider educational programme rather than forming a separate setting.

In June 2024, the early years curriculum formed part of a carefully sequenced programme extending through the school. Children in the early years had access to broad learning experiences and showed enthusiasm for learning, with sustained attention during lessons. These findings give parents a picture of purposeful learning, alongside the physical and communication strands of conductive education.

The approach connects physical development with communication and academic work. That makes participation an educational concern in its own right: learning involves developing the means to engage with an activity, alongside its subject content. The early years are the starting point of that planned curriculum.

Curriculum oversight. In June 2024, school subject leaders had yet to evaluate how their subjects were being delivered or what pupils retained over time. The required next step was time to review implementation and establish where further staff development was needed. This was a school-level concern, relevant context for families considering the nursery’s place within that curriculum.

Communication and physical development are integral to the school’s conductive education approach. For a family considering nursery, this places the child’s ability to take part alongside academic learning, rather than treating physical development as an unrelated activity.

The June 2024 findings about early years learning also matter here: children were willing to engage and able to concentrate. Those observations concern their experience of learning; they should be read alongside the school’s curriculum development work.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Contact the school about the process for your child’s next placement. Choosing nursery should therefore be a decision about the provision itself, rather than an assumption that the next place is secured.

The school can be contacted on 01142845298. Thorncliffe Hall is the address for this school-based provision. These details give families a direct contact and a concrete location when considering the nursery.

Reading programme. In June 2024, the school’s newly introduced phonics programme was being taught inconsistently. Further work was required to clarify staff expectations and provide the support needed for consistent teaching. This was a school-wide development point, rather than a separate judgement on nursery teaching.