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Nursery at High Lawn 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Rhymes, poems and songs begin with the youngest children at High Lawn: language and stories give this school nursery its clearest character. Provision covers two-year-olds and children aged three and four, placing those first experiences of learning within High Lawn Primary School in Sharples, Bolton.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 1 and 2 October 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The detail matters more than the label: children settled into routines, while some curriculum planning and adult conversation needed further work.
Books and spoken language are central to the early learning described in October 2024. Children start with songs, verse and rhymes in the two-year-old provision, and adults introduce stories through shared books. These activities give young children opportunities to hear new words and build their understanding of stories before formal reading develops.
Structured routines help give the day a recognisable shape. Adults encourage children to explain their learning from the outset, using conversation to extend vocabulary and understanding. For parents, this makes the quality of everyday exchanges an important part of the provision, alongside the activities themselves.
Learning sequence. Some parts of the early years curriculum needed clearer steps between topics in October 2024. Children could consequently struggle to connect new ideas with earlier learning. This is a material qualification to the positive early years judgement, rather than a concern confined to older pupils.
Getting to know children begins before they start. Staff gather information from parents and carers, helping them understand each child and support the move into school routines. In October 2024, children generally settled with confidence. Sharing information about a child’s needs and experiences is therefore part of the settling process.
Adult conversation. Some opportunities to develop children’s language were missed in October 2024. Staff needed further training in purposeful discussion, with clearer guidance about the knowledge and vocabulary children should acquire.
For disabled children, the school’s access policy includes reasonable adjustments and learning suited to individual needs. Its accessibility plan covers participation in lessons, the physical environment and access to information. These are practical commitments relevant to families considering how their child will take part.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline. The admission arrangements shown on the school’s admissions page do not include nursery attendance among the priority criteria. Familiarity with High Lawn therefore does not itself give an admissions advantage.
Nursery applications use a form from the school office, returned with a copy of the child’s birth certificate. Applying does not secure a place. Entry normally begins in September, with further admissions after children turn two or three if space permits.
The office can be contacted on 01204 332728 or at office@high-lawn.bolton.sch.uk. High Lawn is on Holden Avenue, Bolton, BL1 7EX.
It has provision for two-year-olds and for children aged three and four.
Early learning includes rhymes, songs, poems and shared books, with conversation used to develop vocabulary and understanding.
Staff collect information from parents and carers before children start. In October 2024, children generally settled confidently into routines.
No. Reception requires a separate application, and the admission arrangements shown do not give priority for attending the nursery.
Collect an application form from the school office and return it with a copy of your child’s birth certificate. An application does not guarantee admission.
