Bournville Primary School Nursery and Preschool

Weekly forest school in the wildlife area gives Bournville’s youngest children a regular reason to take their learning outdoors. Stories, conversation and play shape the provision indoors, with separate nursery and preschool stages within Bournville Primary School on Selworthy Road, Weston-super-Mare.

The nursery serves two-year-olds, with entry from the term after their second birthday; preschool starts from the term after the third birthday. Both follow the school’s term-time calendar. In February 2025, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years across the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play is the starting point. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, move, manage feelings and build relationships. Bournville uses the Extend Nursery and Preschool Curriculum, with learning organised around language, physical development and personal and social skills alongside areas such as creative expression and understanding the world.

Adult-guided activities sit alongside independent play. In February 2025, children picked up routines quickly, and adults used their conversations with children to assess understanding and take learning further. The resulting benefit for future learning was beginning to emerge. This is a measured picture of developing foundations.

Language has several practical routes into the day. The Poetry Basket introduces poetry, while Helicopter Stories gives children opportunities for spoken storytelling. Core stories and rhymes connect nursery learning with home; families can borrow from the school’s book share library. Regular local library visits and Bookstart extend that connection beyond the classroom.

Outdoor learning includes weekly forest school in the wildlife area, giving children another setting for physical activity and exploration. In preschool, early phonics uses playful work on listening, rhythm and sounds before formal reading and writing. These activities make the first steps towards literacy part of play.

Each child has a key worker who acts as the family’s first contact for questions about their nursery or preschool experience. Two parent consultations during the year provide time to discuss progress. Tapestry, the online learning diary, carries learning updates, helping families connect what happens in sessions with conversations at home.

Speech and language support is built into the team’s preparation: EYFS staff receive training to recognise communication needs, and Elkan-trained staff support language development. Theraplay and Sunshine Circles provide additional support for personal and social development where needed. The early years team includes an inclusion lead, and a SEND coordinator covers nursery and preschool.

For children with additional needs, support follows an assess, plan, do and review cycle involving families and, where appropriate, outside professionals. The school building is on a single level, with accessible entrances and adapted toilet and shower facilities. Those physical arrangements matter for children needing assistance with movement or personal care. Preschool also has a lunch club, charged separately.

Nursery or preschool attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admissions process. For September 2026 entry, applications went to North Somerset School Admissions, with a deadline of 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past.

For that intake, preschool children receiving early years pupil premium or service premium also needed a supplementary information form sent directly to the school alongside their application. This requirement should not be treated as a promise of a place.

Transition support is a separate matter. For children with SEND, preschool and Reception staff liaise and take part in the Link Programme run by North Somerset. Planning can include meetings with parents and professionals, extra visits and adjusted timings to help reduce anxiety.

Morning sessions finish at 11.40am; afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Nursery and preschool operate during term time, with September, January and April intakes. Families needing care during school holidays should plan around that pattern.

Two-year-old nursery eligibility includes local authority funded places, and working parent codes are accepted. Paid hourly places are offered when spaces remain unfilled. Preschool has limited 30-hour funded spaces. Ask the school for current charges, including lunch club and any agreed wraparound care, and collect within the booked session to avoid a late collection charge.

To arrange a tour of the early years units, call 01934 427130. General enquiries can also go to office@bournville.extendlearning.org.