St John's CofE Primary School Nursery Review

Familiar stories and first experiments with sound give the early years at St John's a distinctive rhythm. Children hear the same books repeatedly and begin making music themselves: two concrete ways of building familiarity while leaving room for discovery.

The nursery belongs to St John's CofE Primary School on Dawson Lane in Bierley, Bradford, a Church of England primary school. At the Ofsted inspection of 21 to 22 November 2023, early years provision was graded Outstanding. That judgement covers the school's early years, including Nursery, rather than a separately inspected nursery setting.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework for education before children reach their fifth birthday. Here, repeated storytelling gives that early learning a recognisable daily thread. The early years use books called 5 a day texts, returning to them so that children get to know their characters and stories. Familiarity is part of the purpose.

Sound offers another route into learning. In the Foundation Stage, children sing as a group and try creating music with instruments, including objects that are not musical instruments. This gives them opportunities to experiment rather than simply listen. Across the school, music lessons take place in a dedicated Music room.

Behaviour has its own named approach, the St John's Way Curriculum. The school aims to build considerate habits through repeated practice, adapting its teaching to children's ages and individual SEND needs. In November 2023, early years children understood the daily routines, received help with behaviour and sustained their attention in learning. For parents, the combination matters: adults support children with the habits of being in a group as well as their learning.

Adult support was a strength of the early years in November 2023. Children received substantial help and were absorbed in their activities, giving a concrete basis for the Outstanding early years judgement.

For children needing additional support, the school's approach follows an assess, plan, do, review cycle. Support can involve individual teaching, work in small groups, adapted resources or advice from outside specialists. An Individual Provision Map records targets and strategies; reviews take place each half term, with parents invited to contribute. That gives families a recurring opportunity to discuss how support is working.

Communication also runs through the Greenhouse app, which brings letters and newsletters together and supports notifications. Safeguarding concerns can be raised through the office or by emailing safeguarding@stj.bdat-academies.org, providing a direct route to the safeguarding team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Bradford Council's admissions process. Nursery places are allocated by the school's admissions team, so these are distinct routes. Keep the Reception application separate from any arrangements already made for nursery attendance.

To enquire about Nursery, telephone 01274 681959 or email admissions@stj.bdat-academies.org. Families can arrange a visit and a stay and play session, giving parent and child an opportunity to explore the setting together.

Collection is personal: nursery children are handed individually to an authorised adult on their collection list. Changes to that list go through the office. Late collection leads to after-school care in the Ark and a charge; ask the school for current charges. Keeping the collection list accurate is therefore an everyday practical priority.