Spittal Community Primary School Nursery

A weekly trip to the local library and a book to take home each month give Spittal’s nursery a clear emphasis: stories belong in family life as well as in the classroom. Nursery children join Rhyme and Story Time at the library, while the monthly book gift gives parents something concrete to share with their child.

This is the nursery at Spittal Community Primary School on Main Street in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Its staffing includes a nursery teacher and a nursery teaching assistant, placing it within the school’s teaching team.

Rhymes, songs and conversation are central to early learning here. In May 2025, children were developing an interest in reading through simple songs and rhymes in Nursery. Vocabulary teaching also began in Nursery, giving children more words with which to express themselves and talk to others. These are practical foundations for joining conversations and enjoying stories.

Books have supporting props, too. Classroom resources include story sacks, puppets and materials for role play, alongside books chosen to engage different interests. Book areas feature throughout the classrooms, and the school has a library. Together with the local library sessions, these give reading a place both within school and beyond it.

Early years learning also includes exploring quantities with ordinary objects and taking responsibility for the surroundings. In May 2025, early years children developed number understanding through these practical experiences, while looking after their environment introduced responsibility at a young age.

Learning activities. The May 2025 inspection identified uneven practice in early years: some activities and aspects of the learning environment gave children insufficient opportunities to revisit learning or gain further skills. Staff needed support to make those opportunities more consistent. For parents, the important distinction is between the established emphasis on language and stories and the less consistent wider learning experiences.

The nursery teacher also holds the deputy headteacher role and a deputy safeguarding responsibility. A nursery teaching assistant forms another part of the team. That connects nursery staffing with school leadership and gives families an identifiable route for raising concerns.

Responsibility for special educational needs coordination sits with the headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. For families discussing additional needs, these roles identify where responsibility lies. Safeguarding concerns can be raised through the school’s telephone number. The school also directs parents to CEOP and thinkuknow for help with online safety, including mobile phones and new technology.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the normal deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for school entry as separate decisions; familiarity with the school does not secure admission.

Visits can be arranged through the school office, giving families a direct way to meet the team before deciding. Contact the school on 01289 307413 or email admin@spittal.northumberland.sch.uk. The address is Main Street, Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1RD.