Bere Alston Primary Academy Nursery Review

Learning to share, finding the words to communicate and getting comfortable with school routines give Bere Alston’s early years provision its character. Mini Miners is the academy’s nursery unit, and provision includes two-year-olds. It sits within the school’s Foundation Stage Unit, placing nursery education within a wider early years setting.

At the inspection on 5 and 6 March 2024, Ofsted graded early years provision Good. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery. The school occupies spacious grounds on Station Road in Bere Alston, with outdoor areas used for learning and play.

Communication and learning alongside other children are central to the early years curriculum. In March 2024, children were developing their ability to express themselves and approaching learning positively. For parents, that gives the educational emphasis a practical meaning: becoming able to communicate is part of learning, alongside the first steps towards reading.

Within the early years foundation stage, children were beginning phonics and learning to read straightforward words. This introduces the connection between sounds and written words. Social learning also mattered: children practised sharing equipment and waiting for their turn. These are concrete skills for taking part in a group, rather than simply rules to follow.

Assessment across the school. In March 2024, some subjects still needed better checks on what pupils understood. Gaps were being missed, limiting how securely knowledge developed. This was a school-level improvement action, rather than a finding specifically about the nursery.

Settling into school life was a strength of early years in March 2024. Adults helped children become familiar with expectations and daily routines, and children adjusted well. That matters for a young child learning how a group setting works: support includes understanding what happens next and how to take part.

Identification of special educational needs and/or disabilities begins when children join the school. For families wishing to contact the special educational needs coordinator, email admin@berealston.devon.sch.uk with FAO SENDCO in the subject line. This provides a direct route for discussing additional needs with the relevant team member.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local authority process and meet its deadline. The application route is Devon County Council, with online applications possible. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions, even though both provisions belong to the same school.

Visits can be arranged for parents and children. To book a tour, email admin@berealston.devon.sch.uk or telephone 01822 840410. Seeing the setting together gives families an opportunity to discuss whether it suits their child.

Funding depends on the entitlement involved. All three- and four-year-olds receive the 15-hour entitlement from the term following their third birthday until school starts. Eligible working families may qualify for 30 funded hours from the term after their child turns nine months old until they start school; eligibility depends on employment circumstances, income, immigration status and the child’s age and circumstances. A separate scheme may provide 15 hours of early learning for eligible two-year-olds. These funding categories should not be read as the nursery’s session timetable or as an offer of places for babies.