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Nursery at Sunningdale School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, communication and small developmental steps shape Sunningdale’s early years provision. Children’s interests become starting points for learning, with individual profiles guiding what adults offer and how they support participation. This is specialist education from the outset.
Sunningdale serves children from age two with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Its Sunningdale Early Years Centre occupies a second site in Ryhope, Sunderland. Early years children with profound and multiple learning difficulties usually attend the main Doxford Park site, following the Initiate approach. That distinction matters for families: the early years provision spans different environments and approaches according to children’s needs.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) takes a developmental shape here. Learning brings together movement, understanding, relationships and communication, rather than expecting every child to follow the same sequence. Adults begin by observing what attracts a child’s attention and how they engage, then use Personalised Learning Plans and Engagement Profiles to organise their next steps.
Play supplies the main teaching approach. At the Early Years Centre, the emphasis includes exploring, handling small changes and sustaining attention. Playing alongside another child or communicating an interest can be a learning goal in its own right. The Explore and Functional approaches inform this work, while children with more profound needs may begin through sensory experiences and relationships within Initiate.
Indoor and outdoor learning both feature in the school’s curriculum, alongside life skills and therapies. The school’s specialist resources include a hydrotherapy pool, soft play and spaces for light and sound therapy; access depends on assessed need. These are resources for individual programmes rather than a promise that every nursery child follows the same activity timetable.
Ofsted’s June 2023 inspection found that careful observation beginning in early years helped teachers identify children’s interests and build purposeful activities around them. Communication support also began in early years, using speech alongside symbols and switches. For a child developing an alternative way to communicate, participation can therefore extend beyond spoken responses.
Settling is planned around the child. Once the final Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is agreed, staff contact the existing nursery or school to arrange visits. Their frequency and duration change according to how the child settles, and a familiar member of staff can accompany them and share information. Parents can also speak with the school nurse during preparation.
Education, health and social care professionals form the wider staff team. Across the school, training includes Makaton and support with feeding; some staff also have medical training. Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists work part time at Sunningdale, linking targets with classroom work. A nurse is on site throughout the school day, bringing health support into the learning setting.
Daily messages through an electronic home-school diary give families an account of their child’s activities. Evidence For Learning and IRIS ParentMail provide further communication routes, while Early Years Stay & Play sessions offer another way to participate. Parents contribute to targets and join EHCP reviews, connecting classroom priorities with family knowledge.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Applications for a Sunningdale place go through Together for Children, the placing authority acting for the local authority. Children require an EHCP with cognition and learning identified as their primary need. Families should confirm with the placing authority what is required for their child’s Reception placement.
The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Start and finish times may be staggered for individual needs and transport arrangements, so those adjustments form part of practical planning.
Transport. The transport page limits its provision to children of Reception age and above who live within Sunderland’s local authority area. Nursery families should plan their journeys with that age condition in mind.
General enquiries can go through the contact form, by email to office@sunningdaleschool.com or by telephone on 0191 528 0440. During preparation for starting, parents can meet administrative staff to complete forms and order uniform.
Sunningdale Early Years Centre is on the school’s second site in Ryhope. Early years children with profound and multiple learning difficulties usually attend the main Doxford Park site.
Staff observe children’s interests and engagement, then use Personalised Learning Plans and Engagement Profiles to shape developmental goals and activities.
After the final EHCP is agreed, staff arrange a flexible programme of visits with the child’s existing nursery or school. The number and length of visits depend on the child’s needs and settling.
No. Applications to Sunningdale go through Together for Children, and nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.
The electronic home-school diary provides daily communication. Families can also use Evidence For Learning and IRIS ParentMail.
