Nursery at NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School

Stories, rhymes and conversation give James Knott’s youngest children a language-rich start. The provision caters for two- and three-year-olds within the primary school on Norham Road in Ashington, with an Early Years Centre for this age group. In April 2024, the school began catering for two-year-olds, extending its work with children before the nursery year.

Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 1 and 2 October 2024. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision; it is not a separate nursery rating. For parents, the most distinctive finding is the attention given to communication from the youngest age group onwards.

Language is a clear priority. In October 2024, children in the two-year-old provision encountered poetry and songs alongside rhymes and stories. Nursery adults helped children understand and use more vocabulary. This gives everyday talk a learning purpose, with adults extending the words children can draw on to express themselves.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework. In parent language, it brings learning and development together with children’s health and safety, building the knowledge and skills they need for school life. Here, the concrete emphasis on spoken language makes that broad framework easier to picture: listening to stories and joining in songs are part of the learning itself.

Teaching about healthy relationships starts in the nursery year and develops across the school. This places learning about relationships alongside communication, rather than treating preparation for school as an exclusively academic task.

School-wide improvement work also matters. In October 2024, checks on teaching in some subjects needed further development, while assessment in some subjects did not pinpoint gaps in understanding sufficiently. These were school-wide concerns, rather than findings assigned specifically to the nursery.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), communication support is a relevant strength: in October 2024, support for speech and language difficulties was effective. The school employs a speech and language therapist who leads speech and language teaching assistants, alongside a qualified SEND coordinator responsible for provision across the school.

Support follows an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. Termly meetings with the class teacher and/or SEND coordinator involve parents in discussing progress and reviewing support. This creates a recurring opportunity to adjust provision around a child’s needs, with referrals to external services where required.

A separate application matters. Attending James Knott’s part-time nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for primary admission through the normal admissions process, following Northumberland County Council procedures and the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 01670 813219 or adminjk@jamesknott.ncea.org.uk. There are separate application forms for the two-year-old provision and nursery provision, so use the route appropriate to your child’s stage.

Visits to explore the early years provision can be arranged by contacting the school. This offers families a direct way to see the setting before deciding whether to apply.