Proposed development of a Resource Base at Victoria Park Nursery School, Newbury

Background

Victoria Park Nursery School in Newbury is a maintained nursery school, funded and controlled by West Berkshire Council. It offers full and part-time early years education places for 150 children aged between 2 and 5 years.

Children of nursery school age can sometimes need a bit of extra help with their communication and speech. At Victoria Park Nursery School, there are members of staff with specific qualifications in supporting children's communication, speech and language development, and a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

The Early Years curriculum is followed by all settings in England to the end of Reception year in primary school. The curriculum emphasises the importance of play as the most effective way of learning. The focus is on the Prime Areas of Learning, which are: 

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

This forms an important foundation to all future learning and development and acts as crucial stepping stones for the four specific areas (Literacy, Maths, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design).

Victoria Park Nursery School follows the curriculum and encourages children to learn through play, sharing stimulating first-hand experiences with their peers and qualified staff in a caring and happy environment. The on-site gardens are used to give the children high-quality learning experiences outdoors.

What we are proposing

To develop an existing space at Victoria Park Nursery School into a Resource Base to support nursery-aged children in West Berkshire that present with additional needs, particularly around communication, social interaction, emotional regulation and early developmental delay, to make sure the children receive the right support as early as possible.

A Resource Base is a small, specialist space within a mainstream school. It provides targeted support for children who need more structure, specialist input or a quieter environment, while still being part of the nursery community.

What are the benefits

The benefits of a Resource Base are:

• earlier support leads to better outcomes, improving children's communication, social interaction and emotional regulation
• meeting local need for support
• supporting inclusion in the classroom
• helping children make a smooth transition to primary school
• providing support closer to home
• strengthening the early years workforce
• reducing future pressure on specialist placements
• aligning with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) strategies, including our Send and Inclusion Strategy, and the government's Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life Strategy

For further details, please read our Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQ) here.

Why this site?

The proposal to develop an existing space at Victoria Park Nursery School into a Resource Base is based on the needs of the local community and the nursery's ability to deliver high-quality early support.

• High-quality provision - the nursery already provides a strong and nurturing early years education. Its staff have experience supporting children with different needs and inclusion is a core part of the nursery's ethos. This makes it a safe and supportive place for a Resource Base. At the last Ofsted Inspection in 2022, the school was rated as 'Outstanding'.
• Suitable space for specialist support - the site has indoor and outdoor areas that can be adapted for quieter, structured sessions. Its layout would allow children to move easily between the Resource Base and main nursery rooms. This is important because the model is based on small-group work alongside inclusion in the main nursery.
• Meets local need - West Berkshire is seeing more young children with communication, interaction, sensory and developmental needs. There is currently, no Resource Base for Early Years settings and some children must travel further or wait for specialist support. A Resource Base here brings early help closer to home.
• Strong leadership - the leadership team has demonstrated commitment to SEND and inclusive practice. They are willing and able to work with the local authority to establish the Resource Base safely and effectively. This provides confidence that it will run well.
• Good accessibility for families - the site is centrally located for the community it serves. The site is easy for families to reach, and this supports equitable access to early SEND support.

How to take part

If you'd like to give us your views on our proposal to develop a Resource Base at Victoria Park Nursery School, Newbury, please complete our survey by midnight on Wednesday, 25 February 2026. It should take about 5-10 minutes.  

Complete our survey

If you'd like to talk to us about this proposal, we'll be running an open meeting:

• at Victoria Park Nursery School, Victoria park, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1EH
• on Monday, 26 January 2026 from 5pm to 6pm

If you can't attend in person, you can join online. Please email SENDengagement@westberks.gov.uk and you will be sent joining instructions

We're also holding drop-ins:

• at Victoria Park Nursery School, Victoria park, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1EH  
• on Tuesday, 27 January 2026 from 08.45 to 9.30am
• on Wednesday 28 January 2026 from 12.40pm to 1.30pm

Please report to the school reception when you arrive.

If you have any questions about the consultation, please email SENDengagement@westberks.gov.uk

For general enquiries about our Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer, please visit our webpage.

What happens next

Your feedback will be analysed and summarised, and a recommendation will be put to elected Members at the Executive meeting on Thursday, 19 March 2026.

Anyone can watch Councillors discuss items at Council and Committee meetings or ask a question. Residents can attend public meetings in person at the Market Street Offices. If you'd like to ask a West Berkshire Councillor a question at a public meeting, find out what can and can't be asked, and how to submit your question here.

If Members approve the project, we will begin work on the detailed design and procurement process and this phase of the project will follow the statutory planning process, which includes further public consultation. Construction and staff recruitment would potentially be in the summer of 2028, with the Resource Unit opening for the start of the school term in September 2026.