Little Acorns at Wookey Primary School

Daily reading with older children and shared celebration assemblies give Little Acorns a place in school life from the start. This is Wookey Primary School’s own preschool, integrated on the school site, with places from 2 years old and up to 20 children on roll. That figure describes the preschool roll, rather than a guaranteed number of vacancies.

The preschool sits alongside the school’s additional classrooms within its grounds. Its character comes from those everyday connections with the wider school, rather than from being a separate childcare setting.

Reading with older pupils happens daily; celebration assemblies bring preschool children into the school each week. Children also use the school playground. These are concrete opportunities to become familiar with other children and shared spaces while still belonging to Little Acorns.

Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the curriculum for this age group. Wookey plans it as the foundation for later knowledge and skills, with early learning included in subject progression plans. Early years phonics uses Twinkl, with children learning sounds for reading. The school aims to connect the language, values and learning in preschool with subsequent teaching, and to track progress from a child’s starting point.

There is an important qualification. At the Ofsted inspection on 21 and 22 January 2025, early years provision was judged Requires improvement. Indoor and outdoor spaces had been improved, and materials reflected children’s interests, but early years teaching and curriculum planning remained incomplete. Children’s learning did not develop step by step from their existing understanding. For families, engaging resources and connections with school need to be weighed alongside that concern about learning progression.

Settling is adapted to each child, rather than following one fixed timetable. Children have support from a personal keyworker, and families can participate in activities and their child’s progress. Together, these arrangements give parents a role in the early relationship between home and preschool. In January 2025, children in the preschool felt settled and content.

Support for additional needs sits within the school’s wider SEND structure. A SENCO leads staff support, with early identification and adaptable resources forming part of the approach. The school also links families to Somerset’s Early Years Graduated Response Tool and Local Offer, useful starting points for understanding support beyond the classroom.

Wookey Weekly reaches families through Seesaw, the school’s communication system. This provides a regular connection with wider school news.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate school application through Somerset County Council and meet the deadline for their entry year. For September 2025 entry, the application deadline was 15 January 2025; that admissions cycle is now past.

Familiarity is a separate benefit. Playground use, daily reading with older children and weekly assemblies introduce children to school spaces and routines before the next stage. These shared experiences support continuity, but they do not secure admission. Keep the Reception application separate from the decision to take a preschool place.

Visits can be arranged by calling 01749 673650. Parents can meet the preschool team and discuss their questions while their child plays, making this a useful introduction before joining.

Little Acorns is on the Wookey school site. The visit offers an opportunity to see how that integration works in practice, including the preschool’s relationship with the shared playground and wider school community.