Sundorne Infant School and Nursery: Nursery Review

BeeBots, early maths and a choice of three attendance patterns give Sundorne’s nursery its practical character. This is the school’s own provision on Featherbed Lane in Shrewsbury, accepting children from the term following their third birthday. It offers funded places of 15 or 30 hours, with attendance organised around the beginning of the week, the end of the week or the full week.

Explorers at Sundorne shares the site but operates independently. That distinction matters when arranging care beyond the nursery’s sessions.

Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) includes play with technology, early mathematical understanding and science. White Rose materials support the early years maths framework, while science covers plants, forces and materials through at least three units each year. These give children specific ideas to explore as their understanding develops.

BeeBots and remote-controlled toys bring computing into practical play. Children also have opportunities to make pictures on a whiteboard, use iPads and explore interactive books. The school aims to develop language and confidence through these experiences, including role play and outdoor contexts. For a parent, this means computing includes giving instructions and trying things out, alongside using a screen.

Art also reaches the early years: woodland-animal tutorials extend across the EYFS and later school stages. The wider school building has murals featuring woodland wildlife and familiar book characters, adding a concrete visual connection between stories, animals and creative work.

An induction visit forms part of starting nursery. During the preceding term, staff contact families to confirm that they still want the place, organise that visit and email a registration pack. This gives families a preparatory step before their child starts.

For additional needs, the school’s SEND approach begins with discussion with the class teacher, with the SEND coordinator involved where needed. Support follows Assess, Plan, Do, Review: identifying needs, agreeing targets, putting support into practice and checking its effect. Continued personalised support can include a Person Centred Plan, following discussion with parents. The process gives families a role in decisions about their child’s support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Shropshire Council’s normal Reception admissions route and meet the deadline for their entry year. Treat this as a separate decision from booking nursery attendance.

For September 2026 entry, the deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past; it should not be treated as the deadline for a later intake.

The 15-hour beginning-of-week pattern runs on Monday and Tuesday from 8:45am to 3:15pm, followed by Wednesday from 8:45am to 11:45am. The end-of-week option starts on Wednesday from 12:00pm to 3:15pm, then runs on Thursday and Friday from 8:45am to 3:15pm. These are fixed patterns, so the Wednesday handover point matters for family schedules.

A 30-hour place covers Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 3:15pm, and requires a valid 30-hour eligibility code. The nursery offers only these funded patterns. Families needing additional hours, including before or after school, are directed to Explorers.

Applications can be made using a downloadable form or a paper copy collected from the school office. Nursery enquiries can go to adminsisn@haughmondfed.net or 01743462087.