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Nursery at Lympsham Church of England Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud-kitchen play, village walks and songs at the Cafe at the Pavilion give Lympsham Pre-School a distinctly local character. This is the nursery provision of Lympsham Church of England Academy, with provision for two-year-olds and learning built around play and exploration. Its place in the school is educational: it provides the first stage of learning within the academy.
The pre-school aims to make children feel valued and stimulated. That aim takes practical shape in activities adapted to their interests and developmental stage, rather than a single task pitched identically to everyone.
An Early Years Teacher plans and leads daily activities. Construction, singing, cookery and stories sit alongside creative work and messy play; teacher-led activities also draw on observations of children to decide what they should tackle next. Play has a purpose here. Building and making give children things to discuss, investigate and try again.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together language, relationships, physical development, early reading and writing, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. At Lympsham, this translates into practical experiences indoors and outside. Children make marks, play with sand and use the mud kitchen. The outdoor environment also includes flower beds and a Bug House, with a nearby mural depicting pollinators, giving adults concrete starting points for conversations about living things.
Thursday mornings include sessions with a qualified PE coach, developing movement skills and cooperation. Walks extend learning to Manor Gardens, the cricket green and the village park. Children have also taken crafts and songs to the Cafe at the Pavilion and made shopping trips to the Post Office. Familiar village places become part of their learning.
In February 2025, Ofsted found that pre-school children responded positively to established routines and that the emphasis on communication and language gave them secure foundations. These findings support the focus on talking and predictable expectations, rather than a separate nursery grade.
Stay and Play sessions give parents opportunities to see children's activities and talk with their child's key worker. Coffee mornings also allow families to get to know one another, while parents contribute to learning through cooking and topic activities. Contact with families extends beyond registration.
The pre-school manager combines teaching and SENDCo responsibilities, giving families a nursery-specific contact for special educational needs and disabilities. Concerns can be raised through the school office. The school aims to adapt education to each child's strengths and needs; families can use that conversation to explain the support their child requires.
For children booked into after-school wraparound care, a light snack carries an additional charge. Factor that extra into the care arrangement.
Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate: families must apply again through the normal Reception process by its normal deadline.
Preparation for the classroom is a different matter. The Reception teacher visits the pre-school, and children regularly visit the Reception class in the term before starting school. Older children also practise changing for PE during the summer term, building independence with dressing. These experiences help make the next stage familiar; they do not secure admission.
Bookings have a minimum duration of three hours for pre-school and one hour for wraparound care. Unfunded sessions are charged on a sessional basis. Ask the school for current charges.
Universal funding starts in the first funding period following a child's third birthday. Eligible children can also use benefits-related two-year-old funding or Working Families funding for two- and three-year-olds, subject to session availability. Parents sign funding forms each term and must keep Working Families codes valid; an invalid code means charges become payable.
Changing bookings. Reducing sessions or leaving requires written notice of four school term weeks, with charges continuing during that period. This matters when planning a change in childcare.
Enquiries go through the school office on 01934 750473. Registration involves forms and proof of age, such as a passport or birth certificate. Pre-school polo tops, fleeces and jumpers can be ordered through the team.
No. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal process by its normal deadline.
Yes, the pre-school has provision for two-year-olds.
Activities include construction, stories, cookery, singing, messy play and outdoor play. A qualified PE coach joins sessions on Thursday mornings.
Yes. Universal funding, benefits-related two-year-old funding and Working Families funding are accommodated, with hours subject to session availability and the relevant paperwork and code requirements.
Contact the school office on 01934 750473 to raise concerns with the SENDCo. The pre-school manager also holds SENDCo responsibilities.
