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Nursery at Sidcot 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Woodwork, mud play and farm visits give Sidcot’s youngest children a practical introduction to learning, shaped by Quaker values. This is the school’s Pre-School, within its Junior School provision, rather than a separate nursery. Children can begin in the term after turning three.
The Junior School has its own building and is overseen jointly by its head and the early-years leader. In January 2025, Pre-School had 12 children on roll. This historical attendance figure does not describe its capacity. ISI’s inspection of 21 to 23 January 2025 found that early-years children progressed well, with staff using their knowledge of individual children to plan what they should learn next.
Practical activity gives the early-years curriculum its character. Children explore outdoors, work with wood and try simple science experiments, developing language and number skills through things they can investigate. Learning follows children’s interests, while progression plans give staff a direction for each child. There is room for individual work, activities with other children and time alongside an adult.
Physical and emotional development sit alongside early literacy and numeracy. Mud play and woodwork provide challenges through which children build resilience; conversations with staff help them understand feelings and begin managing them. Coordination activities prepare early-years children for their own sports day. The emphasis is on developing skills through participation.
Farm visits introduce care for the environment and responsibility towards others. Circle time, environmental projects and the charity Christmas fayre bring reflection and cooperation into the early-years experience. Sidcot’s Forest School, early-years classrooms and outdoor spaces also feature in its taster provision, giving prospective families a way to explore the learning spaces.
Settling starts gradually. During their first week, children attend shorter days that include lunch, with staff giving parents feedback each day. Days lengthen as the child settles, taking family circumstances into account. This makes the initial timetable responsive to the child’s adjustment.
In January 2025, early-years staffing exceeded the minimum supervision ratios, and key staff developed close relationships with children. Parent communication helped staff adapt support to individual needs; regular parent meetings also offered guidance for learning at home.
Personal care and additional needs. Children are expected to be toilet trained before joining, with individual consideration and reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities. Facilities for continence support are limited, so this condition matters for families whose child needs help with toileting. Across the school, the inspection also identified inconsistent effectiveness in some classroom support and recommended evaluating its impact. That finding concerns school-wide provision, rather than a specific nursery lesson.
Pre-School attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Sidcot requires families joining Pre-School to intend to continue into its Junior School Reception, but retains the right to decline progression where it considers continued attendance unsuitable for the child or school.
Existing Pre-School children do not follow the new-entrant Junior School taster and assessment process because they have already been assessed in Pre-School. Families should distinguish this internal progression arrangement from a guaranteed offer. Reception progression is handled by Sidcot itself.
Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons run from 12:45pm to 3:45pm. Lunch is charged separately. The starting commitment is at least four sessions, and Sidcot recommends including a whole day. Siblings receive priority when sessions are allocated.
Local Authority Early Years Funding is accepted for up to 15 hours each week from the term after a child’s third birthday. Contact the school for current session and lunch charges. Enquiries go to admissions@sidcot.org.uk or 01934 845212; families can arrange a personal tour through admissions.
Children can join from the term after turning three. Toilet training is an entry expectation, with case-by-case consideration for children with disabilities.
Morning sessions are 8:45am to 11:45am, and afternoon sessions are 12:45pm to 3:45pm. Children are expected to start with at least four sessions.
The first week begins with shorter days including lunch. Staff give daily feedback, and attendance lengthens as the child settles.
Sidcot accepts Local Authority Early Years Funding for up to 15 hours weekly from the term after the third birthday. Lunch has a separate charge.
No. Existing children are assessed in Pre-School rather than following the process for new Junior School entrants, but Sidcot retains discretion over progression.
