Chase Terrace Primary School Nursery Review

Stories, play and a purpose-built nursery give Chase Terrace’s youngest children their own starting point within the primary school. The provision combines maintained and governor-led nursery places in Burntwood. Children can join from the term following their third birthday, with 52 places overall and entry points in September, January and April.

The nursery operates on weekdays in term time, with morning and afternoon sessions and the option of staying throughout the day. That gives families a choice between a shorter session and a longer nursery day, while keeping care aligned with the school calendar.

Play shares the day with focused teaching. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early learning and social development: children practise sharing, playing together and doing things independently alongside reading, writing and number skills. Development Matters guides the teaching, and stories provide a starting point for learning wherever possible.

Morning teaching includes language and communication, physical development, early mathematics and literacy, alongside personal and social learning. Across the play provision, children encounter the different learning areas, with a particular area receiving attention each week. Nursery children also begin exploring phonics and individual letter sounds. Daily reading aloud gives them encounters with stories, information books and poetry.

Learning extends from the indoor nursery into an outdoor learning area. Early years activities include growing beans, observing caterpillars becoming butterflies and making sandwiches for a picnic: concrete ways to explore living things and practise practical skills. Weekly helicopter stories sessions add another storytelling opportunity. The early years playground supports movement at different points in the day, while morning Funky fingers activities develop coordination. These details give play a clear learning purpose.

In December 2024, Ofsted found that early years teachers understood each child’s next learning steps and supported enthusiasm for learning. That points to teaching which responds to individual development rather than simply moving the whole group through the same tasks.

Qualified staff teach and care for nursery children. The school’s early years team aims to work with families and the community, giving parents a role in children’s learning. Questions about the curriculum can go directly to the class teacher; the school office is also the contact route for its special needs coordinator and special needs assistant.

Emotional support was a strength in the December 2024 early years findings. At whole-school level, safeguarding was effective, but records of contact with outside agencies needed greater detail so staff could track responses and unresolved concerns. The same inspection also identified prolonged absences among some pupils and called for continued work with families. These were school-wide concerns, rather than findings confined to nursery.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery entry is handled by the school, while Reception applications go through Staffordshire County Council. Families must make a separate Reception application through that route by the normal deadline, even when their child already attends nursery. Treat the two applications as separate decisions.

Nursery opening hours are 8.50am to 3.20pm. Morning or afternoon sessions are offered for the 15-hour funded entitlement, which begins in the term after a child turns three. Some children qualify for 30 funded hours, depending on parental income and working hours. Extra afternoon hours can be purchased until 3.20pm; contact the school for current charges.

Enquiries and requests to look around go through the school office on 01543 227150 or office@chaseterrace-primary.staffs.sch.uk. Nursery applications can be emailed or handed to the office, with acknowledgement sent by email.