North Town Academy Nursery

During Ofsted’s inspection on 7 and 8 March 2023, nursery children at North Town learnt positional vocabulary while playing with model trains. That gives a concrete example of learning at the time. The nursery caters for children aged two, three and four and is part of North Town Academy on Staplegrove Road in Taunton. There are 70 children on its nursery roll.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework. North Town aims to extend children’s learning through practical exploration, investigation and structured play, with activities responding to their interests and needs. For parents, the emphasis is on children doing and discovering, alongside the knowledge adults want them to learn.

In March 2023, Ofsted recorded nursery children using model trains to practise positional vocabulary. An everyday play resource becomes a way to connect words with actions, giving mathematical language a practical purpose before children encounter more abstract work.

Curriculum planning starts in Nursery, with leaders identifying what children should learn and retain. The March 2023 findings also raised a concern across some subjects: teachers did not consistently understand the intended knowledge, which weakened children’s recall. The improvement required was a shared understanding of the curriculum and how to teach it. This matters alongside the positive, specific example of nursery mathematics.

A manager and deputy lead the nursery team, alongside practitioners and a nursery SENCO. The manager holds an early childhood studies degree and a level 5 qualification; the deputy is qualified at level 3. This gives families a clear picture of the roles responsible for the provision.

Additional-needs expertise includes a level 3 nursery SENCO with a National Diploma and a level 2 qualification in Understanding Autism. The deputy has also completed training covering autism and social communication in early years. These are concrete areas of staff preparation for children who may need additional support.

Food and personal-care supplies need separate attention. Lunches and snacks sit outside session fees, and parents supply creams, nappies and wipes. Breakfast, a hot lunch and tea are charged separately. Families therefore need to budget for food as well as booked childcare, and prepare the consumables their child uses.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Somerset County Council’s school admissions route, with the normal deadline of 15 January. Treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery sessions.

For the 2026–2027 admissions cycle, nursery attendance conferred no priority: it was not an oversubscription criterion. A nursery place therefore carried no admissions advantage in that cycle. Choosing the nursery and securing a school place are separate decisions, even though the provision belongs to the same school.

Opening hours run from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, with full-day and half-day bookings. Charges apply to the booked session, although parents may bring or collect their child within its hours to suit their arrangements. That flexibility concerns attendance within the booking; it does not change the session-based charge.

Payment is monthly and in advance. Invoices arrive a month before the childcare period, with payment due before care starts. Contact the nursery for current charges.

Nursery enquiries go to ntnursery@nt.huish.education. Use that email directly rather than the general contact form: the main school inbox is not monitored outside school hours.