Sandy Hill Academy Nursery Review

Playful learning within a school setting gives Acorn Class its identity. This is Sandy Hill Academy’s nursery in St Austell, where the emphasis combines children’s interests with preparation for school life. Families choose a morning, afternoon or full-day pattern, giving the nursery a clear session structure.

The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Its approach centres on planning for individual children, with their needs and interests shaping learning rather than a single programme applied identically to everyone.

The EYFS brings learning and development together: children build knowledge alongside the social and emotional skills they need for school. At Sandy Hill, activities are planned around each child, and staff review progress regularly. Those reviews inform support, making assessment part of deciding what a child needs next.

Reading starts early. In January 2023, children were beginning to learn to read in Nursery, while early-years story sessions used rhymes and accompanying movements to involve them. That gives families a concrete picture of learning through participation: stories involve listening, language and joining in. Early-years number work also developed children’s confidence, with organised activities exploring shape and pattern. These are foundations for understanding mathematics, rather than simply reciting numbers.

A morning runs from 8:30am to 11:30am; the afternoon lasts from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. Full-day attendance spans 8:30am to 3:00pm. The nursery offers each pattern as five sessions, so families can choose a consistent rhythm across the week.

A nursery teacher and nursery teaching assistant form part of the team, with an Early Years Lead who also holds an assistant headteacher role. In January 2023, nursery children learned expectations quickly through deliberately organised routines. Familiar sequences therefore have a practical role alongside teaching: they help children understand how their session works.

Daily care includes the Big Brush Club, an NHS-funded programme through which nursery children brush their teeth each day. It makes practising a health habit part of the routine.

For children with additional needs, the school combines staff observations, assessment information and conversations with parents. The SENDCo works alongside teachers and teaching assistants to plan support. Where appropriate, partners include the Early Years Inclusion Team and Speech and Language Therapists. Children needing provision beyond the usual support receive an Individual Provision Map through the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle, giving families a structured process for considering needs and reviewing help.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Reception admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Choosing Acorn Class should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself.

Transition support is a separate matter. The transition package for the September 2026 Reception intake included planned summer-term visits by Reception teachers to nursery settings, childminders or family homes. Repeat visits were part of the provision where needed, allowing children to meet their next teacher somewhere familiar. That offers continuity through personal contact; it does not secure admission.

Session pattern. The choices are five mornings, five afternoons or five full days. Consider which pattern fits your child’s stamina and your family’s collection arrangements.

New children join in September, with a further January intake conditional on spaces being available. An Expression of Interest form starts the enquiry process, and a team member then contacts the family. This gives parents a direct route to discussing a nursery place.

The school office can also be reached on 01726 75858 or at hello@sandyhill.org.uk. For concerns about additional needs, parents can speak first with their child’s class teacher or contact the SENDCo through the office.