Holy Rood Catholic Primary School Nursery

Seasonal discovery, songs and learning to make choices give Holy Rood’s nursery its character. Children join from age three for a morning session within the Catholic primary school on Shaw Street in Barnsley. This is a short-session introduction to school life, with play and conversation shaping the learning.

The Catholic ethos reaches into nursery activities. In spring 2024, Little Chick Challenges encouraged helpful and considerate behaviour during Lent; children also watched eggs hatch in the foundation stage. Religious celebrations and exploration of the natural world sit alongside one another here.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines children’s own play with activities guided by adults. Holy Rood follows that framework and uses Development Matters guidance. In practical terms, learning brings together language, movement, relationships, early reading and number work, creativity and understanding the world. Children have opportunities to investigate their interests, while adults introduce vocabulary and help extend their thinking.

Outdoor areas are used throughout the year, whatever the weather. Seasonal outdoor explorers challenges make nature part of the curriculum, and learning takes place inside as well as outside. The nursery’s autumn 2023 activities included a walk at Locke Park and making telescopes linked to My Pet Star. These gave stories a connection with places and objects children could explore.

Spring 2024 brought The Colour Monster into work on emotions, using sounds, textures and colours to explore feelings. Children planted beans, tended the growing plants and took them home. Another activity involved melting ice to release a frozen teddy bear: a concrete problem for children to tackle together.

Independence is also practised through everyday equipment. In November 2024, new nursery children selected painting materials themselves and mixed their chosen colours. Adults modelled vocabulary during early-years play, making conversation part of learning rather than a separate exercise.

In November 2024, Ofsted found that early-years adults built positive relationships by getting to know children and their families, and that nursery children settled successfully into routines. That gives the emphasis on family involvement a practical purpose: adults can understand the child behind the classroom activity.

Seesaw supports communication in both directions. Staff share images, videos and observations; parents can contribute experiences from home. Stay and Play, Song and Rhyme Time, home or nursery visits and transition days provide further opportunities for families to participate. Everyday conversations at collection and drop-off complement the app.

Food is part of learning and social time. Across the foundation stage, children help prepare food daily and eat together, with adults encouraging conversation. In spring 2024, nursery children made and sampled beans on toast after growing beans, connecting their snack with the plants they had cared for.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school’s approach involves individual planning with families and, where needed, professionals such as a speech and language therapist. This gives parents a role in shaping support around their child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for school as separate decisions.

Family participation in transition days can support familiarity with school routines. That preparation is distinct from the allocation of a Reception place.

For 2025/2026, the nursery timetable set mornings at 9am to noon, with doors opening at 8.50am. The three-hour session means families need to plan around a midday finish.

Visits can be arranged through the school office. Contact Holy Rood on 01226 281219 to make an appointment. The school is on Shaw Street, Barnsley, S70 6JL.