Tipton St John Squirrels Nursery Review

Squirrels learn alongside Owls here: preschool children share their learning spaces with Reception-age children in Tipton St John Church of England Primary School’s Foundation Stage Unit (FSU). That mixed-age arrangement gives the nursery its character. Younger children are already part of the early years group, rather than waiting until school entry to meet it.

Early years occupies the lower school site, alongside Key Stage 1. The school grounds include playgrounds and a substantial grassed space. In April 2022, the school’s preschool provision catered for children aged three and four.

Shared indoor and outdoor areas allow Squirrels and Owls to play and learn together. The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with children’s existing experiences, interests and strengths shaping the learning. For parents, the emphasis is on building from what a child can already do, rather than treating everyone as having the same starting point.

At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified early years strengths in independence, communication and the foundations of literacy and maths. Children learnt everyday routines that helped them do more for themselves, while adults supported their language development. Learning to communicate sits alongside the first steps towards reading, writing and working with numbers.

A separate school-wide improvement action concerned checking how consistently the curriculum was taught across subjects. That concern concerned curriculum oversight across the school; it was not presented as a nursery-specific weakness.

The FSU team includes early years teachers, a Level 3 higher level teaching assistant and a mealtime assistant. These roles carry PFA certificates. Teaching and mealtime support therefore both feature in the unit’s staffing structure, rather than the team being described solely through classroom roles.

Partnership with families is part of the FSU’s approach: children bring skills developed at home, and staff aim to work with parents and carers as learning develops. The school also has a federation SEND coordinator. Its SEND page directs families towards DIAS and the Devon Local Offer, giving parents routes to advice alongside their contact with school.

For welfare concerns, parents can approach the school’s designated safeguarding leads. The school’s procedure is to discuss concerns with families before sharing information with other agencies, unless doing so would conflict with the child’s welfare.

Learning beside Owls gives Squirrels familiarity with the children and spaces of the Foundation Stage Unit. This is useful continuity in the nursery experience. It is separate from the allocation of a school place.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Preschool applications go directly to the school, but families must make a separate formal application for Reception through the local authority. Devon’s online admissions service is the application route. Treat choosing Squirrels and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions and processes.

The FSU opens on school days, from 9.00am until 3.30pm. These are the unit’s opening hours. Preschool applications are handled by the school, and its FSU page links an application form.

To enquire or arrange a visit, contact the school office on 01404 812 943 or email office@tipton-stjohn.devon.sch.uk. A visit offers an opportunity to meet the school team and discuss the provision before applying.