Fledglings Nursery at Cotford St Luke Primary School

A woodland with a pond, a fire pit and a hammock gives Fledglings a distinctive outdoor dimension. This is Cotford St Luke Primary School’s nursery provision, with Swifts for two-year-olds and Swallows for children aged three and over. Each group has its own staff team, toilets, changing facilities and coat storage, keeping everyday care close to the children’s learning space.

The early years provision was judged Requires improvement at the Ofsted inspection on 29 and 30 January 2025. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery. It deserves attention alongside the concrete detail of what Fledglings offers.

Early learning combines individual next steps with shared activities. Each child has a Personal Pathway recording their development, and their key person plans what comes next. Staff contribute to planning together, so learning is organised around children’s needs rather than simply a common activity list.

Monster Phonics introduces sounds through movement, colour cues and activities involving different senses. For parents, this means early reading starts with recognising and exploring sounds. In January 2025, speech and language development received attention from the Nursery Year onwards; early years children also sustained concentration and practised sharing, including taking turns with a toy railway.

Weekly Forest School sessions use a small woodland behind the school, with beech, oak and hazel trees. A shelter, pond and fire pit provide settings for practical exploration. Children can investigate pond life, search for insects, press leaves or flowers, model with clay and use tools safely. A hammock and loose materials, including ropes and planks, add opportunities for movement and self-directed play. Forest School activities may carry an optional charge.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects these experiences with children’s communication, social development and understanding of their surroundings. Local walks and an annual nursery outing extend that learning beyond the setting. Past destinations include Ferne Animal Sanctuary and Dunster Castle; these are examples of previous trips rather than promised future visits.

Settling starts with play visits, usually lasting one to two hours, followed by a home visit from the child’s key person. Families discuss how their child might manage the change and what support would help. That gives staff a starting point before nursery becomes part of the weekly routine.

Parents can meet the key person by appointment, attend a parents’ evening each term and contribute observations to their child’s Personal Pathway. A whiteboard near the entrance explains the day’s activities. Hot dinners are optional charged extras, and the school office handles requests for allergen information.

Support includes a nursery SENCO, individual planning and advice from local authority specialists when needed. The building accommodates wheelchairs, resources sit within children’s reach and room layouts can be adjusted with families. Widgit picture symbols are used from nursery onwards, including on classroom timetables, giving children visual cues for the day. Staffing includes educators with early years degrees and Level 3 childcare qualifications.

Behaviour and safeguarding. In January 2025, some early years children displayed disruptive behaviour during less structured periods. Across the school, staff expectations of behaviour varied, and consequences and incident records were not handled consistently. School safeguarding was effective, but concern records, the sequence of actions and governors’ oversight needed attention. Families should weigh those findings alongside the settling and support arrangements.

Attending Fledglings does not guarantee a Reception place or confer nursery-attendance priority. Families must make a separate Reception application through Somerset’s school admissions process. Allocation depends on the admission criteria, including care status, catchment, siblings and proximity.

Transition activities address familiarity separately from admission. For children moving to this primary school, Reception teachers read stories in Fledglings, and small groups exchange play visits between the two settings. Older pupils also join nursery play sessions, helping children recognise some familiar faces when they move on.

Fledglings opens for 39 weeks, while funded entitlement covers 38. Three- and four-year-olds have a 15-hour weekly entitlement; eligible working families can access up to 30 hours per week, with a maximum of 10 hours per day. Two-year-old funding depends on eligibility. Working-parent eligibility must be reconfirmed every three months, and funded places depend on availability. Additional hours and optional extras may attract charges; ask the nursery manager for current charges.

Breakfast Club and After School Club take place in Fledglings and are open to nursery children. Booking uses a paper form collected from the setting and must be arranged a term ahead. Optional gymnastics, Balanceability and Multi-Sports sessions are booked by half-term.

For enquiries, telephone 01823 432569, email office@cslprimary.co.uk or use the contact form. The nursery manager handles funding, billing and admission queries.