Athersley South Primary School Nursery

Outdoor exploration continues whatever the weather at Athersley South’s nursery, with clothing provided so children can experience seasonal changes themselves. Practical play shapes the learning. Known as Foundation Stage 1, the nursery belongs to the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), housed in a separate building with wide doors and accommodation entirely at ground level.

Learning follows topics through organised play and practical tasks. The EYFS brings together seven areas: language and communication, movement, emotional and social development, early reading and writing, maths, exploring the world, and creative expression. For parents, that means the nursery curriculum reaches beyond letters and numbers to include how children communicate, move and relate to others.

Read Write Inc. is the phonics and reading programme used across the Foundation Stage. It sits alongside the broader play curriculum, rather than defining the whole session. Outdoor learning is part of that curriculum too: children are encouraged to explore in different weather, with suitable clothing supplied. Experiencing nature directly gives the topic work something concrete to build on.

During the inspection on 15 and 16 October 2024, Ofsted found that staff encouraged clear spoken sentences from the early years and that nursery children soon learned to put things away. These are useful everyday foundations: expressing an idea clearly and taking responsibility for the shared play space.

The team includes FS1 teachers and learning support assistants working within EYFS. Across the school, the special educational needs coordinator supports pupils and helps teachers adapt access to learning. Specialist partners include Speech and Language Therapy, Integrated Inclusion Services, Educational Psychology, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, giving families several routes for addressing different needs.

Early conversations with parents cover disabilities and health conditions, and families are asked to report changes afterwards. That makes sharing a child’s needs part of the relationship from the outset. Physical access also deserves attention: the separate EYFS building has wide doorways and ground-level rooms accessible to disabled users.

Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives admission priority. Families must make a separate Reception application through Barnsley Council’s admissions system or the common application form. For September 2027 entry, the closing date is 15 January 2027.

Children whose Education Health Care Plan names the school must be admitted. When applications exceed places, priority then goes to children in care or previously in care, including qualifying children formerly in state care overseas; siblings permanently resident at the same address and attending the school on the proposed admission date come next, followed by proximity to school. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Morning nursery runs from 8:40am to 11:40am; afternoon nursery runs from 12:25pm to 3:25pm. Each occupies a distinct part of the day, so collection times matter when planning work or other childcare.

Additional nursery hours attract charges when they exceed funded hours or when an eligibility code has not been provided. Contact the school for current charges. Nursery enquiries can go through the admissions enquiries team on 01226 284223 or athersleysouthadmin@ecmtrust.co.uk. School visits are offered to help families make their decision.

Attendance. In October 2024, the school was asked to do more with families to reduce absence because improvement was too slow. This was a school-wide concern, making regular attendance an issue for families to keep in mind.