Bapchild and Tonge Nursery Review

Play, conversation and storytelling give Bapchild and Tonge’s nursery its character. Children have time to pursue their interests, while adults extend their thinking through questions and discussion. The nursery sits on the primary school site and takes children from age two, bringing its youngest learners into a school setting from the start.

The Church of England character has a practical expression in nursery learning: Diddy Disciples uses stories, movement and children’s voices to explore worship and emotions. For families, that means faith is part of the children’s activities, rather than simply part of the school’s name.

Children’s interests help shape the themes and questions they explore. Adults observe play, demonstrate ideas and join conversations to develop it further. This is a knowledge-based curriculum with room for children to make choices: learning develops through exploration rather than a fixed sequence of activities alone.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework, organised around seven learning areas. In everyday terms here, play and exploration sit alongside purposeful adult involvement. Selected books introduce vocabulary and prompt questions, giving children something to talk about as well as something to listen to. Language has a clear place in the day.

Wellcomm provides targeted communication and language support. Diddy Disciples adds another route into storytelling, using repetition and movement as well as speech. These approaches give children different ways to participate, including through actions and familiar story patterns.

In March 2025, children across the early years were exploring shapes and numbers through play, acting out stories and developing the phonics skills needed for simple words. These findings concern the school’s early years as a whole. They illustrate how play and early learning connect, rather than establishing an identical programme for every nursery age.

Settling involves connections beyond the nursery team. In March 2025, early-years children settled successfully, with older pupils acting as buddies to help them become familiar with school life. That adds a relationship with another child to the support adults provide.

A Wellbeing Leader supports both the nursery and school, working with families and staff on emotional wellbeing and barriers to learning. For additional-needs concerns, parents can approach their child’s keyperson or teacher. The school uses an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle, giving support a process for considering needs and revisiting the response.

Lunch needs separate planning. Children attending both morning and afternoon sessions can stay over lunchtime, but that supervision is charged separately from funded sessions. The lunchtime charge does not cover food; a school dinner carries a separate charge. Families should contact the school for current charges.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, using Kent County Council’s primary-school application route and meeting the deadline for their entry year. Treat choosing nursery sessions and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoons run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. A full day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm and includes the lunchtime session. These patterns operate Monday to Friday, with provision over 38 weeks in term time. Families needing holiday childcare must plan around that calendar.

For three- and four-year-olds, the universal entitlement provides 15 funded hours each week from the term after their third birthday. The nursery handles that funding application. Hours can cover five mornings, five afternoons or a mixture of the two. A nursery application form provides the joining route, while lunchtime remains a charged extra when funded morning and afternoon sessions are combined.