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Nursery at Blackawton Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Daily outdoor play and a Finger Gym give Blackawton’s nursery a practical character: children exercise their whole bodies while also developing the small movements needed to handle tools and make marks. This is the nursery provision within Blackawton Primary School in Blackawton, Totnes. It includes children aged two, three and four.
The emphasis is on doing things for themselves. Resources sit within children’s reach, adults encourage conversation, and learning extends outdoors. For families who value movement and exploration, those are concrete features of the nursery experience.
The day starts at 09:00. Morning teaching runs until 11:45, lunch occupies the period to 13:00, and afternoon teaching finishes at 15:00. Within that structure, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, relationships, physical development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Children encounter these through both adult teaching and opportunities to explore.
Conversation runs through group activities, snacks, stories and rhymes. Adults expand children’s language and introduce vocabulary connected to their learning. Investigation areas provide objects and pictures to discuss, while role play gives children reasons to exchange ideas. Books also shape the experience: classroom Reading Areas hold stories and information books on accessible shelves, allowing children to choose material themselves.
A Fastening Station and Finger Gym provide weekly tasks for developing hand control. The Creative Station supplies tools for making marks and working with materials. Outdoors, balance bikes, wheelbarrows and scooters give children opportunities to practise coordination and strength. The outdoor area is used daily for physical development, alongside weekly Outdoor Learning throughout the year, including wet weather. Exploration has a regular place in the week.
Music adds another way to express ideas. Singing is woven into daily routines, a music session takes place weekly, and children can use instruments and a stage. In March 2023, Ofsted found that early years children explored confidently, showed independence and curiosity, and received support to extend their vocabulary. One activity involved discovering spring-walk petals encased in ice, linking an outdoor experience with investigation.
Settling begins with learning about the child. Home visits, stay and play opportunities, contact with other settings and conversations with families inform the initial environment and learning. Early routines allow time to become familiar with the space, form friendships and develop relationships with adults. That gives settling a practical purpose beyond simply learning the timetable.
The nursery team includes a supervisor, an assistant and a teaching assistant. Emotional learning includes Circle Time, discussion of feelings and help with resolving disagreements. Visual reminders explain expectations, while the nursery aims to develop independence in dressing and personal hygiene.
For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school’s approach includes adapting classroom resources and teaching, with personalised interventions when additional support is needed. Lunch has a dedicated place between the teaching periods, rather than being folded into an activity block.
Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Devon County Council, following the normal application timetable. Applications can be submitted through Devon’s online admissions service or using its application forms. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
Plan around the nursery’s 09:00 start and 15:00 finish. Blackawton has a school non-uniform policy; clothing should allow children to take part safely, with wet-weather clothing and suitable outdoor footwear for Outdoor Learning.
To enquire, request an application pack or arrange a school tour, call 01803 712363 or email admin@blackawtonprimary.org.uk. The school is in Blackawton, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7BE.
The nursery includes provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds.
The day begins at 09:00 and finishes at 15:00. Teaching periods are 09:00 to 11:45 and 13:00 to 15:00, with lunch between them.
Yes. The outdoor area is used daily for physical development, and nursery children have weekly Outdoor Learning throughout the year, whatever the weather.
No. Families need to make a separate application through Devon County Council using the normal Reception application process.
Call 01803 712363 or email admin@blackawtonprimary.org.uk to enquire, arrange a school tour or request an application pack.
