Robsack Wood Primary Academy Nursery Review

Hedgehogs, Squirrels and Badgers give Robsack Wood’s youngest children their own place within the academy. Hedgehogs takes babies from three months; Squirrels serves two to three-year-olds, and Badgers three to four-year-olds. The nursery sits within the Early Years Village, a space designed for children under five. This is school-attached provision with a distinct nursery identity.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good following its inspection on 1 and 2 March 2022. That judgement covers early years within the academy, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Children’s interests help shape the activities, with free-flow play alongside adult-directed groups and organised play. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for their learning and development. In practical terms, the day combines opportunities to follow an interest with times when adults guide the learning. Children have both choice and structure.

Indoor and outdoor spaces form part of the nursery environment, while the Academy library and small hall provide additional places to play and learn. The Early Years Village approach brings these different spaces into the experience of the youngest children, rather than keeping their learning within a single room.

Sounds Write is the academy’s named phonics approach. In nursery, the emphasis is on speaking, listening and recognising differences between sounds. This gives early reading preparation a clear starting point. In March 2022, early years children were developing confidence in reading words through phonics; adults also explained number concepts carefully, helping children understand how smaller numbers combine into larger ones.

A nursery lead, nursery teacher and nursery practitioners make up the nursery team, supported by a nursery and extended schools administrator. Parents and carers are encouraged to talk openly with staff, and communication takes several forms. That makes conversation about a child’s individual needs part of the relationship with the nursery.

For SEND enquiries, the academy’s inclusion team can be contacted at inclusion@robsackwoodprimaryacademy.org.uk. Nursery designated safeguarding leads are also part of the safeguarding structure. Families can contact the safeguarding team at safeguarding@robsackwoodprimaryacademy.org.uk, giving them a direct route for welfare concerns.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application to East Sussex County Council using its Common Application Form, rather than applying directly to the academy.

For the admissions round with offers made in April 2026, the closing date was 15 January 2026. That deadline has passed. Families planning a later start need to follow the deadline for their child’s own admissions round, keeping the Reception application separate from nursery arrangements.

Opening hours run from 7:45am to 6:00pm, giving families a substantial daily childcare window. Nursery enquiries go to Nursery@robsackwoodprimaryacademy.org.uk; the academy telephone number is 01424 853521.

The funding arrangements introduced from September 2025 distinguish a 12/24 hour Stretched Funding Offer from a 15/30 hour Flexible Funding Offer for Hedgehogs, Squirrels and Badgers. These are different patterns for using funded hours, so families need to match their childcare plans to the relevant funding calendar. Ask the school for current charges.

Holiday attendance. Places during holiday periods depend on staffing and can fluctuate. Requests are made by emailing the nursery, so families needing holiday care should make a specific request for their required dates.