Woodlawn School Nursery Review

Communication can happen through a sound button, a picture symbol or a shared story at Woodlawn. Its nursery sits within a mixed early years class for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with provision beginning at two and a half and nursery ages of three to four. Individual learning and therapy shape the experience.

Physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists work alongside the education team. Targets relate to each child's Education, Health and Care Plan, bringing developmental needs into the planning of everyday learning.

Play takes place outdoors and inside, alongside individual teaching and work in small groups. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is adapted to children's development: learning about feelings and relationships sits alongside movement, communication, early number work, reading, creativity and discovering the world. Functional communication has a specific focus, so expressing a need or making a choice belongs alongside literacy and maths. Small world play, puzzles and arts and crafts provide practice with hand movements. Children also explore small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery. These activities connect fine motor practice with both creative play and everyday tasks such as handling utensils.

Physical activity has several distinct forms. Weekly rebound sessions combine work on stability and core strength with symbols for communication. Occupational therapists lead weekly Music and Movement sessions, using familiar songs and visual support to practise mobility and balance. Little Movers brings weekly themed activities focused on movement skills. The onsite swimming pool gives children a weekly opportunity to develop water confidence, with symbols and numicon also used for communication and number work. The school is raising funds to refurbish that pool.

Books and storytelling run through the week. Read Write Inc supports daily early reading and phonics, while dough disco and squiggle sessions develop the movements needed for writing. Timba Dash Theatre brings sensory storytelling experiences to the trampolines and pool area. These are different ways to participate in a story, beyond listening to an adult read.

Ofsted's May 2024 early years findings support an individual approach to communication. For parents, story retelling and nursery rhymes show how language practice forms part of everyday learning.

Symbols, PECS, communication books and boards, and sound buttons give children different ways to express themselves. The specialist team sets individual targets, while the whole-school Thrive approach uses observation and selected activities to support emotional development. Special School Nurses also advise families about nutrition, continence and sleep, and train education staff on medical conditions and medication.

A weekly library book goes home for shared reading. The boom reader programme provides a digital record that parents and teachers can both comment on, making that home activity part of an ongoing exchange. Across the school, topic letters and curriculum workshops give families further ways to engage with learning.

School meals are cooked on site each morning, with main-course choices accompanied by vegetables or salad.

Safeguarding administration. Ofsted's May 2024 findings described effective school safeguarding but identified incomplete checks concerning people working there who were not directly employed by the school; these were corrected during the inspection. The improvement action required clearer responsibility and oversight of administrative processes, a relevant consideration for families using the nursery too.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Treat the next placement as a separate decision rather than assuming that attendance settles it. Woodlawn's placement route involves discussion with North Tyneside Local Authority, whose panel makes the final decision about which children attend. Discuss the next stage through that route.

For an enquiry or a visit appointment, telephone the school on 0191 607 1942. The main site is on Drumoyne Gardens, Whitley Bay, NE25 9DL; the office email is office@woodlawnschool.org.uk.

The school accepts uniform with or without its logo and asks families to label clothing. That makes identification of belongings a straightforward part of preparation.