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Nursery at Holy Family Catholic Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play sets the direction at Holy Family’s nursery: children’s interests can change the half-term theme, rather than the theme dictating every activity. Qualified teachers lead the provision, supported by teaching assistants. This gives the nursery a classroom teaching structure while keeping children’s choices central to learning.
The nursery belongs to Holy Family Catholic Primary School on Ostley Bank in Barrow-in-Furness. Its Catholic character reaches into everyday routines: classroom prayer begins and ends the school day, with prayers before lunch too. Each classroom has a prayer focal point that changes with the church season, giving children a visible connection between their surroundings and these routines.
The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, brings together seven areas of development. Here, that means learning to communicate, manage feelings and relationships, move confidently, explore reading and writing, understand numbers, investigate the world and create. Planning responds to children’s interests, so these skills can develop through experiences that matter to them.
Early reading starts with talk. Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics sessions use listening and speaking activities, stories, rhymes and songs to help nursery children hear sounds within words. The emphasis is on the language skills that prepare children for reading.
Making and investigating give the day practical substance. Early-years design activities include junk modelling, trying tools and exploring how objects work; cookery introduces mixing, pouring and stirring. Art gives children materials to experiment with, while adults introduce vocabulary so they can explain their creations. Science learning combines adult-led activities with independent exploration inside and outside the classroom. These experiences give children things to handle, test and discuss.
At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted described early-years children’s enthusiasm for their chosen activities and their progress with letters and sounds. A separate, school-wide curriculum concern involved insufficient detail about smaller learning steps and their sequence in a few subjects. That qualification matters when considering the curriculum alongside the specific early-years findings.
Parents have two digital routes into nursery life: Tapestry is the nursery’s online learning journal, while School Jotter 3 carries school news, newsletters and the events calendar. An open-door policy also invites parents to raise concerns directly, keeping communication broader than app notifications alone.
Inclusion has practical implications for early reading. Children with SEND may receive more adult help, a slower pace or the phonics SEND programme according to their needs. The school also provides a SEND Information Report, SEND policy and Accessibility Plan, alongside a link to the Westmorland and Furness Local Offer.
Lunch runs between the nursery sessions. Families can provide a packed lunch or order a school meal through School Gateway. Lunchtime supervision is charged separately and falls outside the 30-hour funding, so staying through lunch needs its own booking through the online payment system.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by its deadline. The school’s admissions page links to Westmorland and Furness School Admissions for admissions information. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.
The morning session runs from 08:45 to 11:40; afternoons run from 12:40 to 15:30. The 15-hour pattern is five mornings or five afternoons. There is also 30-hour provision for eligible children; families without the relevant code can purchase additional sessions, paid for before attendance. Contact the school for current charges.
Breakfast Club runs from 07:45 to 08:45, Monday to Friday. After School Club runs from 15:30 to 17:30, Monday to Thursday, and includes a snack and drink. Both accept nursery children. Book through School Money by noon on Monday for the following week; cancellation is permitted only when a child is absent through illness. The Thursday finish to after-school provision is a practical constraint for Friday childcare.
Nursery uniform combines a navy hoodie and navy bottoms with a royal blue polo and trainers; navy shorts are an option in warmer weather. To enquire or arrange a look around, contact the school office on 01229 828018.
The 15-hour provision consists of five morning sessions or five afternoon sessions. Eligible children can access 30-hour provision, and families without the code can pay for extra sessions in advance.
Mornings run from 08:45 to 11:40, and afternoons from 12:40 to 15:30. Lunch is between 11:40 and 12:40.
Yes. Breakfast Club runs from 07:45 to 08:45, Monday to Friday. After School Club runs from 15:30 to 17:30, Monday to Thursday. Advance booking is required.
Children can bring a packed lunch or have a school meal ordered through School Gateway. Lunchtime supervision is booked separately through the online payment system and is excluded from 30-hour funding.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process by its deadline. The school’s admissions page links to Westmorland and Furness School Admissions.
