Fulwell Infant School Academy Nursery

Stories, songs and sustained conversation give Fulwell’s nursery its character. This is the nursery within Fulwell Infant School Academy on Ebdon Lane in Sunderland, providing nursery education for three-year-olds within a school specialising in the infant years. Families should confirm the starting term and availability with the school office. Language is a clear strength of the nursery experience, with adults helping children develop their communication through shared stories and conversation.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 13 and 14 May 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The nursery-specific findings were positive about teaching and the support children receive.

Conversation does real educational work here. In May 2025, nursery teaching developed children’s language through rhymes, storytelling, singing and longer exchanges with adults. Children have opportunities to listen and speak, with adults extending the conversation. That gives parents a concrete picture of learning beyond a timetable of activities.

Indoor and outdoor learning spaces both have resources selected to support the different areas of learning. Children can access those materials themselves, so the environment gives them opportunities to explore as well as learn alongside adults. The outdoor space is part of the learning provision.

Across the school, the named SHINE curriculum uses texts to connect learning, and the school describes its approach as enquiry-based. Its aim is to encourage curiosity and help children link ideas. The nursery’s emphasis on stories and adult conversation gives a practical example of how language supports early learning.

From the nursery years, children also learn appropriate behaviour and how to care for their surroundings. Learning to look after the school environment makes responsibility something children practise.

Teachers and teaching assistants make up the nursery team, with a SENDCO also holding a teaching role. This gives families a direct connection between nursery teaching and the school’s coordination of special educational needs and disabilities support.

In May 2025, additional provision helped the youngest children with SEND adjust to school life. This is a specific settling-in strength for children who need that support. Families can contact the SENDCO through the school.

For the Full Time option, meals and supervision at lunchtime carry a charge. Those extras belong in the family’s planning alongside the session pattern; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Sunderland City Council’s coordinated admissions process, completing the local authority form by its published deadline.

A statement referring to admissions from 2017 described attendance in nursery during the preceding year as a third criterion, after looked-after children and qualifying siblings. Treat that as a historical position, rather than assurance about priority for a current application. Keep the Reception application separate from the nursery booking.

AM sessions run from 8:50 to 11:50; PM sessions run from 12:20 to 3:20. Collection doors open at 11:40 and 3:10 respectively, giving families an earlier collection window before each session ends.

Early reds combines Monday and Tuesday full days with Wednesday morning. Late greens combines Wednesday afternoon with Thursday and Friday full days. A Full Time (30 hours) option is also offered. Families state their preferred pattern when accepting an offer, so these are choices to consider against the household’s weekly routine.

Contact the school office to enquire about nursery places or arrange a visit. Nursery application documents can be emailed to nurseryapplications@fulwellinfant.org.uk.