Atherstone Nursery School: nursery life and next steps

Large open classrooms, outdoor learning space and a Forest School give Atherstone’s nursery provision its physical character. Children’s interests shape the curriculum, with activities planned around what they already know and the skills they are ready to develop. That makes their starting points part of the teaching plan.

Atherstone Nursery School serves children aged 2 to 5 on Kings Avenue in Atherstone. Its provision includes Caterpillar Nursery for ages 2 to 3 and Butterfly Nursery for ages 3 to 4. This is a nursery school in its own right, so moving to Reception means moving on to another school.

Learning stretches beyond the classroom. Gardening and cooking sit alongside yoga, sewing and beat-bots in weekly activities. Children work with fabric and practise threading needles, giving them concrete tasks that exercise concentration and hand control. These experiences were part of the nursery’s provision at the July 2024 inspection.

Early reading begins with listening. In July 2024, teaching used an adapted phonics programme to help children distinguish surrounding sounds, alongside songs, rhymes and familiar stories matched to their development. Books supplied starting points for learning. This gives children practice with the listening skills that precede reading words.

At the July 2024 inspection, children made cards and delivered them to nearby businesses and residents, while community visitors included firefighters and a gamekeeper. Inside nursery, Communication InPrint symbols help explain routines, behaviour and unfamiliar vocabulary. Children can use visual support as well as spoken language to understand what happens next.

The Colour Monster gives feelings a concrete form. Children discuss the emotions associated with its characters, paint or draw a monster to represent their own feelings, and draw a network hand identifying five people they can approach for help. Protective Behaviours provides the personal safety framework behind this work.

Support for special educational needs and/or disabilities involves a SENDCo and staff working alongside that teacher. Families help establish children’s starting points when they join. Parents are consulted before additional support is arranged and permission is sought for referrals to outside professionals.

Children receiving targeted support have an Individual Education Plan, with parents invited to review meetings every six weeks. Activities addressing those targets form part of the usual nursery day, making support part of everyday learning. Communication InPrint symbols can also be used at home, allowing families to extend familiar communication support beyond nursery.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline.

For children needing continuing support, staff discuss sharing information with the child’s new school. That transfer of information helps the next team understand the support already in place; it is separate from securing admission.

The extra 45-minute session, from 2.45pm to 3.30pm for children already attending Butterfly Nursery’s 30-hour group, is marked unavailable; contact the office for more information. Parents must first agree with their key person that their child is ready for the longer day. Contact the office about this session before relying on it for collection arrangements.

For enquiries or to arrange a visit, contact the administration team on 01827 794 164 or admin1000@welearn365.com. Ask the nursery for current charges. Cancellation of the extra session requires at least 24 hours’ notice.