Thames Primary Academy Nursery

Songs, rhymes and children's own interests give Thames Primary Academy's nursery its character. Provision includes two-year-olds alongside the Nursery class, with play used to encourage learning and conversation used to build vocabulary. The emphasis is on getting children involved. For parents, that makes language development a useful focus when considering the provision.

This is the nursery within Thames Primary Academy on Severn Road in Blackpool, rather than a separate setting. The early years findings from December 2023 describe children joining in enthusiastically and younger children becoming familiar with school quickly.

Language takes centre stage in the Nursery class. In December 2023, staff used songs and rhymes to encourage participation, taking opportunities to extend the words children understood and used. These activities supported preparation for reading and counting. The practical point is that singing serves a learning purpose: children practise language through something they can join in with.

Play provides another starting point. Staff working with two-year-olds learned about their interests promptly and used those interests to encourage learning. Within the early years, children also chose between books by voting for their preferred story at story time. That gives children a say in the reading they share.

There are concrete examples of literacy extending beyond the nursery group. In spring 2022, preschool children visited the local library to share rhymes and stories. For World Book Day that spring, pupils from Years 4 to 6 read to younger children, including those in nursery. These were opportunities to enjoy books with different people and in a different place.

Settling was a strength for the youngest children in December 2023: two-year-olds adjusted quickly, while staff developed an understanding of what interested them. That connection between familiarity and play matters for a child beginning school life.

Family participation has included nursery Mother's Day assemblies in spring 2022, when children shared pictures of their mothers and performed seasonal songs. Food also featured in those celebrations, with croissants and jam in the morning and tea cakes in the afternoon. These were special events, rather than a description of everyday meals. A nursery kitchen was in use in 2021.

Attending Thames nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and securing a school place as separate decisions.

Songs, vocabulary work and rhymes supported preparation for reading and counting in December 2023. This is learning preparation; it does not establish an admissions advantage.

The school is on Severn Road, Blackpool, FY4 1EE, and its telephone number is 01253341466.

Assessment. In December 2023, the school still needed to sharpen assessment in some areas so teachers could identify misunderstandings and address gaps sooner. This was a school-wide improvement point, rather than a finding specifically assigned to the nursery. It should be kept distinct from the positive findings about nursery language work and settling.