Starting school or nursery is a huge milestone in your child's life, and we're here to give them all the support they need while allowing them the space to be themselves. Through our distinctive play-based approach, our early years provision is designed to nurture your child's natural curiosity and love of learning in a place that puts their needs and interests first.

Our Early Years Classes

Our Early Years has three classes: Pine Class (Nursery) and Cherry and Cedar Classes (Reception). Each is led by experienced teachers with dedicated support assistants, ensuring every child receives the individual attention our youngest learners need.

Our Approach to Learning

At Sefton Park, we believe that every child has unlimited capacity to learn, and our role is to nurture this innate ability. We place your child at the centre of their educational journey, combining rich play-based learning with purposeful teaching that helps every child thrive both academically and emotionally.

What Makes Our Early Years Special

Your child leads their learning: We follow your child's interests, providing rich environments that spark questions and discoveries. Whatever they’re fascinated by – ladybirds in the garden or building elaborate structures in the block area – we help them develop essential skills through play that genuinely matters to them.

Learning through doing: Each day, your child will plan what they want to do, dive into their chosen activities, and then talk about what they have found out or created. This powerful but simple process – which we call Plan-Do-Review – helps them become confident, independent learners who can organise their thoughts and take ownership of their experiences.

Time and space to learn: When your child finds something that captivates them, we give them unhurried time to explore deeply. This allows them to become the authors of their learning adventures, taking them (and us!) along new paths of discovery.

Learning Together

Alongside this child-led discovery, we nurture the key skills that will support your child throughout their educational journey.

Early reading begins in Nursery, where children get to know letters and their sounds and how they blend to make words through songs, rhymes, and rhythm activities. In Reception – the start of formal school – reading takes off: daily phonics teaches your child to blend letter sounds into words they can read, starting with short words, moving on to whole sentences, and before long, bringing home their very first book to read with you.

Early maths grows the same way. Through play and everyday activities, children count, sort, build, and notice patterns, shapes, and how amounts compare. They work with real objects they can hold and move, developing a feel for numbers and mathematical relationships.

Partnering with families is essential to every child's learning journey. We know that you are your child’s first teacher. Through Tapestry, our online journal, you'll receive photos and updates about your child's early years journey. You can also share what's happening at home, creating a complete picture of your child's development. We also hold literacy and maths evenings where you can discover simple ways to support your child's learning through everyday activities and play at home.

Developing confident learners means helping children build a healthy relationship with mistakes and challenges. Through encouragement and regular reflection, your child will develop the confidence to try new things and the resilience to keep going when something feels challenging.

The best way to get a feel for how learning takes place at Sefton Park is to come and see the children at work and play. To find out about upcoming tours or to book a visit, see our Prospective Parents & Carers page.

How to Apply

For Nursery places: Visit our Nursery Applications page for detailed information about applying.

For Reception places: Visit our School Applications page for information about applying through Bristol City Council.