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Nursery at Wickham Market Primary 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Storytelling, a painting table and a turtle puppet give Little Avocets its character. This is Wickham Market Primary School’s nursery class, on Dallinghoo Road, with a day built mainly around play and short group sessions. Children can attend mornings or afternoons, with lunch and care before and after nursery available to extend the day.
Play provides the main shape of the early years day. Brief carpet sessions introduce stories, maths and phonics; adults then continue that learning alongside children’s play. Children practise talking with friends, retelling stories and making things at the painting and craft table. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, physical development, relationships and early learning, rather than organising the whole session around separate lessons.
Nursery phonics concentrates on Phase One: listening to sounds, exploring rhyme and rhythm, and hearing how spoken words can be split apart or joined together. These activities happen through group work, carpet sessions and play. Number learning also uses practical materials, including loose parts and blocks, so children encounter mathematical ideas while building and handling objects.
Traditional stories have included Goldilocks and the three bears and the three little pigs. Nursery maths activities have focused on recognising small groups of up to three objects immediately, rather than counting each object. That gives parents a concrete picture of early number work. The school library also forms part of nursery life, with Thursday visits and books to share at home.
Twiggle the turtle helps children explore feelings and ways to manage them. A daily Pupil of the Day routine gathers compliments from other children, and parents are encouraged to contribute a compliment at home. This connects conversations about kindness across nursery and family life.
In May 2023, Ofsted found that nursery children received good teaching and care, with adults understanding their individual needs. Adults used conversation and questions throughout learning, giving children opportunities to explain their ideas.
For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school uses an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. Individual support is recorded in My Learning Plan and reviewed each term with families. Parents can contact the school office to arrange a discussion with the SEND coordinator. A Family Welfare Practitioner also supports families with concerns such as bereavement, separation and managing feelings.
Attending Little Avocets does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Suffolk’s normal admissions process.
For entry in 2027/28, apply through Suffolk Local Authority at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions, or use its CAF1 form, by 15 January. Where applications exceed available places, Suffolk’s oversubscription criteria determine priority. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions, and keep the application deadline in view while your child attends nursery.
Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am; afternoons are 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Lunch Club fills the interval from 11:45am to 12:30pm and must accompany a morning or afternoon booking. Breakfast club runs from 7:45am to 8:45am, while Flexi club extends care from 3:30pm to 5pm. Families select preferred sessions across Monday to Friday.
Funding covers 15 hours each week for 38 weeks, starting in the term after a child’s third birthday. Little Avocets also accepts 30 funded hours for working parents, subject to the appropriate documents. Lunch Club and the clubs before and after nursery can use funded hours or be paid for separately. Contact the school for current charges.
Preference goes to children needing five sessions, except where attendance forms part of a dual placement with a special school nursery. Take the completed nursery application and your child’s birth certificate to the school office. Tours can be booked through the office on 01728 746405 or at wkt.admin@eastmat.org.
Uniform is encouraged but optional. Choices include a deep jade or white logo polo shirt and a logo sweatshirt; all clothing should carry your child’s name.
Mornings run from 8:45am to 11:45am and afternoons from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Lunch Club runs between them and must be booked with a morning or afternoon session.
Breakfast club runs from 7:45am to 8:45am. Flexi club runs from 3:30pm to 5pm. Both can use funded hours or be paid for separately.
No. You must apply separately through Suffolk Local Authority. For 2027/28 entry, the closing date is 15 January; applications can be made online or using CAF1.
Yes. The nursery accepts the 15-hour entitlement for 38 weeks from the term after a child’s third birthday, and 30-hour funded places for working parents subject to the appropriate documents.
No. Uniform is encouraged, and all clothing must be named.
