St Catherine's CofE Primary School Nursery Review

A playhouse, a storytelling area and vegetables growing in the garden give St Catherine's nursery a practical, outdoorsy character. This is the nursery within St Catherine's CofE Primary School in Horwich, with a shared early years outdoor area linking nursery and Reception. Play has space of its own.

The nursery has 52 places, with up to 26 full-time places offered. Children normally start in September after turning three; spring or summer entry is sometimes possible for children who turn three early. The school aims to treat children as individuals and help them feel respected and confident.

Choice and adult guidance both shape the day. Children pursue their own activities and sustain attention on projects, alongside sessions led by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) means learning through exploration, movement and play, with sharing, taking turns and independence woven into that experience. Indoors, this includes role-play, painting, practical games and books in the reading corner.

Pathways to Write gives nursery literacy a named approach. Books prompt new vocabulary, storytelling and talk before children practise making marks and forming letters. Skills are revisited, giving children repeated opportunities to use them. In the summer term, children due to move into Reception that September begin Read, Write Inc phonics.

Outside, the slide and climbing frame sit alongside the playhouse and storytelling area. Bikes, construction materials and small-world resources extend the possibilities for physical and imaginative play. Planting flowers and vegetables brings growing things into planned activities, while children are encouraged to handle wildlife carefully. Raincoats and umbrellas support outdoor play in rain; sun protection and drinks accompany hot weather.

At the March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that early years activities and resources enabled children to practise learning that subject leaders had planned. The school-wide improvement point concerned helping pupils connect ideas across subjects; this was not identified specifically as a nursery weakness.

Settling begins with a conversation. Before nursery starts, parents are offered individual meetings to share their child's needs, and children attend settling sessions to become familiar with staff, routines and surroundings. Extra transition support can be arranged where appropriate. That gives families a way to discuss concerns before the first regular session.

SEND support draws on the school's SEND coordinator, class teachers and teaching assistants. Three teaching assistants have experience as Special Needs Assistants and work across the school according to children's needs. Staff receive training linked to new children's needs, including input from specialist agencies where relevant. Individual Learning Plans are shared termly with parents, creating opportunities to review support together.

The school building is on one level, with wide corridors and an accessible toilet. School lunch is available to children attending a whole day or a morning-only nursery session, so meal arrangements depend on the attendance pattern.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority under the September 2027 admission arrangements. Families must make a separate application through Bolton Council using the Local Authority Common Application Form by 15 January. The nursery choice and the Reception application are separate decisions.

Transition support is a different matter. Reception settling sessions are staggered across four weeks, with additional support where appropriate for children with SEND. Seeds and Gardeners pairs new Reception starters with Year 6 buddies, providing a familiar older child as they learn new routines. These arrangements support settling; they do not change admission priority.

Morning nursery runs from 8:50 to 11:30, with the afternoon session from 12:45 to 15:10. Attendance options include 15 hours across 2.5 days or 30 hours, described as six hours daily plus lunch. The 15-hour funded entitlement can be extended to 30 hours for eligible working parents; families can also pay to top up to 30 hours. Lunch carries an additional charge. Contact the school for current charges.

Nursery applications use a form obtained from the school, and visits can be arranged in advance. The office can be reached on 01204 332636. Nursery uniform follows the school uniform, substituting a plain white polo shirt for the shirt and tie. For drop-off and collection, vehicle access to the grounds requires a disabled parking permit or school permit; Park and Stride from Iceland is encouraged where possible.