The Orchard Nursery at Shiphay Learning Academy

Storybook porridge, fabric collage and bridge building give The Orchard Nursery a practical, playful character. This is Shiphay Learning Academy’s own nursery in Torquay, with 39 places in each session. Children can join from age two following the September 2026 expansion. Nursery rooms provide the term-time base; The Hub adds childcare beyond that pattern.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 22 and 23 October 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery. For families, the distinctive choice is a school nursery with half-day sessions and a longer childcare option for three- and four-year-olds.

Play sits alongside adult guidance. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning with children’s health and safety: here, children explore independently, watch one another, learn from adults demonstrating things and take part in guided activities. The emphasis is on trying ideas, persisting through difficulty and finding ways to solve problems. This gives play a purpose while leaving room for children’s own interests.

Language, movement and emotional development sit alongside early mathematics, literacy, creative work and learning about the world. The nursery’s design and technology sequence makes that concrete: autumn brings fabric collage with decorative additions, spring links porridge to The Three Bears, and summer uses Three Billy Goats Gruff for bridge building. Stories become something children can make and investigate.

In October 2024, books, rhymes and storytelling were threaded through early years learning. Children also practised working together when putting things away. These everyday routines connect language and cooperation with the practical business of a nursery session.

The nursery describes its indoor space as light-filled and its play resources as open-ended. Termly curriculum overviews help parents connect home activities with what their child is learning. EYFS learning also continues in The Hub for nursery-age children using that provision.

Support for communication begins early. In October 2024, children received a language assessment on starting Nursery, helping staff recognise needs at the outset. The school’s SEND arrangements give parents a class-teacher contact and additional support from the special educational needs coordinator. Individual Learning Plans are reviewed with parents each term, creating a regular opportunity to discuss support and next steps.

For starting nursery, the setting emphasises friendship and emotional wellbeing, and provides Five Steps to Reduce Separation Anxiety for families. Seesaw supports messages between home and class, alongside photographs and videos of learning. Replies are within staff working hours; urgent messages go through the office.

Lunch care is provided between sessions. Families can purchase a school meal separately, with Caterlink preparing meals on site and ParentPay handling bookings. Children with allergies or particular dietary needs receive tailored menus, so meal planning can accommodate those requirements.

Attending The Orchard Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at Shiphay Learning Academy. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing nursery and securing a school place are separate decisions; a nursery booking should never be treated as confirmation of Reception admission.

Morning sessions run from 09:00 to 12:00, with afternoons from 12:00 to 15:00. Families may request full days, half days or a mixture, but the weekly pattern must remain regular. Permanent additions depend on space. This suits a predictable routine rather than childcare needs that change each week.

Nursery rooms operate for 38 weeks; childcare through The Hub can extend across up to 50 weeks. Funded hours may be stretched, giving fewer hours each week across more weeks. All children qualify for 15 weekly funded hours from the term following their third birthday; eligible families can access up to 30. Two-year-old funding depends on eligibility.

Additional sessions can be purchased subject to availability, and meals are charged separately. The nursery has no chargeable extras. Breakfast Hub and After-School Hub extend care from 07:30 to 18:00 for three- and four-year-olds only. Some Hub time can use funded hours, but 07:30 to 08:00 is charged separately. Hub places require advance booking and depend on availability; Holiday Club can also use funded hours or be paid for. Contact 01803 613556 or shiphayadmin@rivieraet.co.uk for nursery enquiries and current charges.