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Nursery at Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Sound games, frost and ice, and teddy-bear making give this nursery its character: learning starts with things young children can hear, touch and explore. Our Lady of Mount Carmel takes children from age 3 into its school Foundation Stage, with both part-time and full-time places. It belongs to a Roman Catholic primary school on Holden Street in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Early years provision was graded Good by Ofsted following the inspection on 21 and 22 June 2022. That judgement covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
The nursery describes play and well-being as central to its approach. The nursery follows the 2025 Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which covers children's care, development and learning, and uses Birth to Five Matters to guide its teaching. Topic plans provide a starting point, but activities can change with children's interests. This gives their curiosity a part in shaping what happens next.
Language work is concrete and playful. Daily stories and nursery rhymes sit alongside Phase One phonics activities: children copy sounds, experiment with animal noises and listen for sounds around them. Listening walks turn footsteps, birdsong and passing cars into learning material. Read Write Inc Set 1 sounds are introduced in the summer term, building on that earlier attention to listening and rhyme.
Indoor learning is paired with an outdoor area used across the seasons. Outdoor play continues in different weather conditions, with safety checks each day and access restricted when conditions become too extreme. In November 2025, children investigated frost and ice outside. Weather becomes something to explore, rather than simply something to dress for.
Experiences also extend beyond the classroom. In March 2026, a nursery trip to Build A Bear Workshop at the Trafford Centre let children choose, fill and name a teddy bear while finding out how it was made. At home, nursery families can use Ten Town for maths, with login details supplied by the class teacher.
Learning sequence. In June 2022, some subjects needed a clearer sequence linking early learning with later work across the school. Children needed more opportunity to consolidate knowledge before tackling new ideas. This is a useful consideration alongside the positive early years judgement.
A nursery teacher and a learning support assistant form the nursery team; the assistant's responsibilities include speech and language support. Staff meet parents, carers, childminders and other nursery staff daily as children settle into the session. That regular contact creates opportunities to exchange information about the child. Parents with a concern should approach the class teacher first.
For children with additional needs, the school's support structure includes a SEND coordinator, an inclusion team working individually with children, and learning support assistants delivering small-group interventions. The school also works with Speech and Language Therapy and Communication, Language and Autistic Spectrum Support. Access to extra agency support depends on meeting the relevant criteria, so this is an individual arrangement rather than an automatic entitlement.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Tameside Council's school admissions service. Children already in the Foundation Stage receive a Starting out booklet to help them apply; receiving it does not secure admission.
Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions. Submit the Reception application through the normal council route by its applicable deadline.
Part-time nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am; full-time attendance runs from 8:45am to 3:10pm. The nursery offers 15-hour and 30-hour places, with 30-hour funded provision for families who qualify. Families who do not qualify for a full-time funded place can pay for an afternoon session. The school office handles those arrangements.
For nursery enquiries or an appointment to visit, telephone 0161 330 9521. Email enquiries can go to office@ourladys.tameside.sch.uk, and a nursery application form is available. Outdoor clothing matters: bring a waterproof coat, add hats and gloves for cold weather, and use sunscreen and a sun hat in summer. Wellies can stay at school, keeping children ready for wet or snowy play.
Nursery places are offered from age 3, with part-time and full-time options.
Part-time attendance is 8:45am to 11:45am. Full-time attendance is 8:45am to 3:10pm.
There are 15-hour and 30-hour nursery places. The 30-hour full-time funded option is for families who qualify; other families can pay for an afternoon session.
No. Families must apply separately through Tameside Council's school admissions service.
Starbooks encourages parents to join their child in the classroom and model reading together. Nursery learning also includes daily stories, rhymes and sound games.
