Kemsley Primary Academy Nursery

Stories and exploratory activities give Kemsley’s early years provision its clearest character. In October 2024, children developed an enthusiasm for stories and used planned activities to explore their learning. That puts early experiences with books alongside learning through doing.

The nursery belongs to Kemsley Primary Academy in Sittingbourne, on Coldharbour Lane. It is part of the primary school rather than a separate setting.

Learning through activities is the central picture here. The October 2024 early years findings describe children exploring new learning through carefully designed tasks, with stories another focus. For parents, those details point to a day built around participation and discovery, rather than simply listening to adults.

Kemsley describes four curriculum aims: helping children remember, connecting knowledge, reducing the mental demands of learning and encouraging aspiration. These are school-wide aims. They explain the school’s intended approach to learning, while the early years findings give the more specific picture of children engaging with stories and activities.

Settling was a positive feature of early years in October 2024: children became accustomed to school life quickly. This matters for families making the first move into a school setting, although each child’s experience will be individual.

For additional needs, the school’s process starts with the class teacher and can involve the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Parents contribute their views early, and personalised support plans are developed with families and teachers. Outside agencies may become involved with parental permission. This gives families a role in shaping support rather than leaving decisions entirely to staff.

Across the school, the support team includes teaching assistants with speech and language and intervention roles, alongside a Family Liaison Officer. Classroom supports include visual timetables; the school also has a sensory room and wheelchair access. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a description of a separate nursery support package.

SEND support. In October 2024, the school needed to make curriculum adaptations more consistent because some pupils with SEND were achieving less than they could. That finding concerned the school as a whole; it is a relevant consideration for families whose child needs additional support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority’s admissions team.

For September 2026 entry, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past. For families offered September 2026 places, planned transition arrangements included a June information meeting, a teddy bears’ picnic, and home and nursery visits around June or July 2026. These were intended to introduce families to the Reception team and setting; they did not confer an admissions advantage.

The school office is the contact route for enquiries: telephone 01795 428689 or email office@kemsley-academy.org. The nursery is at the academy’s Coldharbour Lane address in Kemsley, Sittingbourne, ME10 2RP.