Hebden Green Community School Nursery Review

Readiness to learn sets the direction at Hebden Green: early education combines play, communication and individual targets for children with complex medical, physical and learning needs. Nursery provision forms part of the school's Foundation Stage, which covers ages 2 to 7. That broader grouping gives early learning skills time to develop rather than making chronological age the sole guide to the curriculum.

The school has 133 funded places across its provision, not a nursery allocation of that size. All pupils require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), with placements handled through Cheshire West and Chester's SEN team. We hold no published inspection grade for this nursery.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the basis for specialist teaching. In parent terms, learning and care belong together: children develop through play, interaction and practising skills. Hebden Green extends this approach through its Foundation Stage, using focused skill development and real-life experiences alongside play.

Each pupil has a curriculum shaped around their own EHCP outcomes. Communication, physical development and self-care sit alongside cognition and independence, so the next learning step follows the child’s needs. Early Foundation Stage classes initially group children by age in small groups. Lesson and lunch timings then follow individual timetables rather than a single schedule for everyone.

Preparation for Learning includes Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology (AT). Individual access strategies are recorded in pupil profiles, giving adults working with a child a shared reference for how to support participation.

The wider school environment includes a hydrotherapy pool, a physiotherapy centre and a sensory room. Adapted playgrounds incorporate a sensory garden and growing zone. These spaces provide physical and sensory settings alongside classroom learning, while access to speech and language therapy and physiotherapy brings specialist support into the school day.

Every pupil works with a teacher and support staff. Families can use a communication book, telephone or email to raise questions; the leadership team also speaks directly with parents about wider needs. Annual reviews and Pupil Progress meetings provide further opportunities for families to contribute, alongside informal conversations and Coffee Mornings.

Meals are cooked on site, and allergies and special dietary needs are accommodated. Some children have feeding programmes devised by Speech and Language Therapists, carried out by trained Teaching Assistants or Midday Assistants. This makes eating support part of the individual care arrangement rather than simply a lunchtime task.

Support also reaches beyond the classroom. The PBS team helps families with wellbeing, social care referrals and routes to financial support. For children whose health affects attendance, the school works with families and healthcare professionals and recognises that the reasons can be individual and complex.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Ask the local authority SEN team what arrangements apply when your child reaches Reception age. Admission to Hebden Green depends on an EHCP and formal referral of the child's papers to the school.

The Foundation Stage continues across ages 2 to 7, providing continuity in the learning approach. That curriculum structure is separate from entitlement to a place. Families outside Cheshire West and Chester should work through their own local authority SEND team, which approaches Cheshire West and Chester on their behalf.

School hours run from 9am to 3.30pm. The school calendar covers 39 weeks, including inset days, so families should use the school holiday dates when planning attendance.

For enquiries, telephone 01606 594221 or email admin@hebdengreen.cheshire.sch.uk. Parent tours require booking and have limited visitor numbers. Where the SEN team has indicated that Hebden Green may suit a child, families can arrange to look around; tours also accommodate families whose children are undergoing EHCP assessment following SEN team advice.

Uniform combines a pale blue polo with a dark blue top and dark grey or black bottoms. Expectations allow flexibility for physical and sensory needs. Clothing should be labelled, and shoes should suit the child's comfort and practical needs.