St Paul's Church of England Academy Nursery

Rabbits for two-year-olds and Badgers for children aged three to four give St Paul's nursery its own identity within the academy. These age groups have different staffing ratios: 1:4 in Rabbits and 1:8 in Badgers. For parents, that is a concrete distinction between the care arrangements for younger children and those approaching school age.

The nursery belongs to St Paul's Church of England Academy on Horntye Road in St Leonards-on-Sea. The academy welcomes children of all faiths within its Christian ethos.

Language and early number learning are central to the nursery experience. At the June 2024 ungraded inspection, Ofsted found that nursery children began learning sounds in preparation for phonics, while stories, poems and rhymes helped establish the beginnings of reading. This is preparation through listening and language, giving children something to build on when formal reading teaching begins.

Early mathematics also developed quickly in the nursery. The academy uses White Rose Maths to support its mathematics planning, with the programme extending across EYFS. In plain parent language, the early learning emphasis includes getting familiar with numbers alongside developing communication and learning to play with others.

By June 2024, routines became familiar quickly for the youngest children. Adults explicitly taught children ways to speak to one another and cooperate in play. That makes social learning a taught part of the day, alongside the foundations of reading and mathematics.

Each child has a key person, and practitioners work in pairs. Their responsibilities combine observing development with day-to-day care and support, so the relationship is about both how a child feels and what they are learning. Support begins with settling in and continues through parent consultations and advice.

Class Dojo keeps families in regular contact with their key person. This gives parents a continuing route into that relationship beyond formal consultations. The nursery also emphasises listening to families and working with outside agencies to support individual needs.

Practitioners who act as key people have paediatric first aid training. The nursery manager can administer medication, with other appropriately qualified academy staff available in the manager's absence. Training takes place through the Early Years Village as well as within the nursery, giving staff two routes for continuing professional development.

For additional needs, the academy's SEND team works alongside teaching and support staff to identify concerns early and plan suitable support. Parents can raise concerns with their child's teacher first, with further discussion through the SEND team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must submit a separate application through East Sussex County Council's admissions process; continuing into the academy is not automatic.

East Sussex County Council coordinates the new Reception intake and allocates places using admissions criteria. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions, even when the intention is for a child to remain at St Paul's.

For enquiries, contact the academy office on 01424 424530 or email office@stpaulsceacademy.org. The nursery has a finance and admissions role within its team, providing a specific point of responsibility for those arrangements.

Academy tours can be arranged by appointment. They include meeting staff and seeing children at work, giving families an opportunity to discuss the setting before making their decision.