The Cedar School Nursery Review

At the January 2024 inspection, rhymes, songs and stories gave Cedar’s early years class its character, with communication supported through Makaton and symbols. The emphasis was on helping children take part and express themselves. That is a useful starting point for families considering nursery within a special school, where learning and communication needs shape the experience.

The nursery belongs to The Cedar School on Redbridge Lane in Nursling, Southampton. In January 2024, the school served children with physical disabilities alongside other needs, including sensory impairments, learning difficulties and speech, language or communication difficulties. Every pupil then had an education, health and care (EHC) plan. These are details about the wider school’s population, rather than a separate nursery admission rule.

At the January 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that stories, singing and rhymes were woven into the early years classroom. These give children several ways to participate in language activities: listening to a story, joining a familiar song or responding to a rhyme. Singing also had a social dimension, with the youngest children inviting others to participate.

Communication took different forms at the January 2024 inspection. Examples included children learning Makaton and recognising symbols. For a parent, the practical significance is that spoken language is not the only way into classroom activity. The examples show how communication support sits alongside storytelling and songs, rather than being described solely as a separate exercise.

The wider school organised learning through two pathways, Formal/Semi Formal and Sensory/Pre-Formal, in January 2024. Individual targets drew on EHC plan outcomes, with teaching dividing these into smaller steps. This gives families a concrete distinction to consider: the shared classroom activity and the individual learning target need not be the same thing. A new assessment system was still being introduced across the school, and completing that work was an improvement priority.

The early years communication work observed in January 2024 provided a specific example of inclusion in daily learning. Children developed communication through activities such as recognising symbols and learning Makaton. Families considering Cedar can therefore focus on how their child’s existing ways of communicating connect with classroom activities.

EHC plans also provide the context for individual learning targets across the school. In January 2024, those targets were linked to each pupil’s planned outcomes, making the child’s own needs part of the teaching framework.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and arranging the next school place as separate decisions: participation in the early years class is not, by itself, confirmation of a Reception place.

The school’s address is Redbridge Lane, Nursling, Southampton, SO16 0XN. For enquiries, the school telephone number is 02380734205.