St Helen Auckland Community Primary School Nursery

A nursery start at two, with morning, afternoon and grouped-day attendance options: St Helen Auckland gives families several ways to shape the early years. Provision covers two-year-olds and children aged three and four within St Helen Auckland Community Primary School, on Manor Road in Bishop Auckland.

The nursery shares a school setting with a large playground, a field and the Qube, a building used for outdoor activities. Those are school facilities rather than a promise of a separate nursery garden. Paid and funded places are offered, with 30 hours of free childcare available to eligible parents.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning to communicate, manage feelings, move confidently and become more independent. Here, the early years curriculum includes listening and speaking, relationships, reading and writing, number work, exploring the world and imaginative activity. The emphasis reaches beyond early academic skills: managing feelings and looking after oneself are part of learning too.

Exploring materials and using imagination sit alongside learning about people, technology and the natural world. This gives the curriculum several starting points for a young child's interests. The nursery aims to make play, conversation and investigation part of children's learning.

Attendance can follow a repeated half-day rhythm or a more concentrated pattern. Funded-place options include mornings throughout the working week, afternoons throughout the working week, or full days on Monday and Tuesday followed by Wednesday morning. For families, that distinction affects how nursery fits around the rest of the week.

Settling involves practical cooperation with parents. Once a child is settled, a brief goodbye is encouraged; punctual collection matters too. Families provide a list of adults authorised to collect, and changes go through the office. Children must be taken safely into the building, with staff made aware they are there.

Fruit, water and milk are offered during the day, with staff monitoring snack time. Children staying for a full day need a packed lunch. For those wearing nappies, parents discuss potty training with staff, and clothes should make changing and toileting manageable. Adults help with coats while encouraging children to try for themselves.

Additional needs have a school-wide support structure involving teachers, teaching assistants and the SENCO. WellComm is used when children enter early years to help identify possible difficulties. SEND support can include visual prompts for language delay, with provision planned around the individual child. Parents take part in reviewing support each term, giving them a regular opportunity to discuss progress and next steps.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Durham County Council's normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. An online form is submitted to the local authority; nursery requests, by contrast, go directly to the school office.

Preparing children for a new setting is a separate matter. New starters are encouraged to attend transition days, with further visits encouraged for children with SEND to help them become familiar with their surroundings.

Morning sessions run from 8:50 to 11:50, and afternoon sessions from 12:00 to 15:00. Applications allow families to indicate attendance across Monday to Friday. Current charges should be obtained from the school.

For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01388 604168 or email sthelenauckland@durhamlearning.net. Paper application forms can be collected there, and office staff contact families before children are due to start. Uniform is encouraged for nursery children; clothing should be labelled and easy to manage independently.