Co-op Academy Portland Nursery

Castles sparked excitement in Portland’s early years in April 2025, a useful glimpse of learning that gives young children something concrete to talk about. Language starts early here. Communication is a priority from the point children join, placing their ability to express themselves alongside the subjects they explore.

Co-op Academy Portland’s nursery takes children aged 3 and above. Its Foundation One base sits within the academy on Laird Street in Birkenhead, making this a school nursery with its own place within the wider primary setting. Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 23 and 24 April 2025. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Learning about castles brought an enthusiastic response from children in April 2025. The example matters because it connects a recognisable subject with children’s willingness to learn and communicate. Excitement about a topic can give children a reason to contribute, rather than making talk an isolated exercise.

Within the early years foundation stage, the clearest emphasis is on language and communication from the outset. In April 2025, children were developing the foundations needed for their later learning. For parents choosing an early education setting, this puts the focus on what children begin to understand and express, alongside their engagement with the activity itself.

Behaviour is part of the early years learning. In April 2025, children were learning to behave well, establishing habits they could carry forward through school. This matters to the nursery day as well as to later education: learning how to behave is part of learning to take part alongside other children.

A separate application. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority in the allocation criteria. Families must apply again through their home local authority’s normal Reception process and meet its deadline. For Wirral families, the route is Wirral Council’s online application process.

Places are allocated using criteria covering care status, siblings, medical circumstances, catchment and distance. Catchment affects how those criteria apply, so attending nursery should not be treated as a substitute for checking the family’s admission position. Children whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria are applied. Keep the nursery decision and the Reception application as two separate steps.

The office team handles enquiries about nursery places and can help families arrange a tour. Use the school’s enquiry form or telephone 0151 652 5124; email contact is port-schooloffice@coopacademies.co.uk. A tour provides an opportunity to explore the learning spaces before making a decision.

The academy’s 2026–2027 calendar includes an autumn half-term break from 19 to 30 October 2026, with school returning on 2 November. Children also stay away on staff training days, including 16 November 2026. Those closures matter when planning family childcare around school attendance.