Abbey School Nursery

About this day nursery

Abbey School Nursery, located in Torquay, provides childcare for children aged 0-4 years. Operating since 2003, the nursery is open from 8am to 5:30pm on weekdays during term time, and 8am to 5pm during holidays, ensuring an all-year provision.

The nursery's inclusive environment is highlighted by its use of visual images and core boards to support children in making choices. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with the manager and inspectors to ensure an inclusive curriculum for all children.

Outdoor learning is a key feature, particularly for babies who are encouraged to be resilient and confident while exploring nature and developing physical skills like hand-eye coordination and core strength. Parents have noted the significant development in their children's social skills since attending, valuing the daily communication and resources provided, such as 'emotion boards' for use at home to support children's understanding of their feelings.

The nursery strives to create a warm and nurturing environment where children feel secure and are supported in their learning journeys. While leaders have made improvements in planning to address children's next steps, there is a focus on strengthening staff’s teaching of mathematics and ensuring all staff have regular supervision for continuous improvement in well-being and teaching quality.

Our ethos

All of our children are valued as individuals and the development of happy and independent learners is our focus. We offer learning opportunities through many co-curricular activities as well as the school curriculum and we recognise and acknowledge success in all areas of school life. We are exponents of lifelong learning and our teachers are committed to their own professional development. We expect high standards in all we do and are committed to quality care, teaching and learning. Parents often comment that the school develops in their children an ‘I Can’ attitude and a sense of purpose. Abbey School is a member of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS).

What it's like

Leaders do not ensure all staff have regular supervisions, which affects staff well-being and the quality of teaching. Children show they feel safe, know the daily routine, use good manners and are supported to make choices. Leaders have improved planning to include children's next steps, but not all staff receive sufficient mentoring to develop practice.

Pricing & funding

Abbey Nursery offers term-time care over 38 weeks for children under and over two years old. Fees are billed termly with options for morning, afternoon, and full-day sessions, as well as early and late care. A consumable charge applies to funded hours, though parents can opt out.