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Nursery at Christ Church CofE 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Sounds, songs and paint give Seedlings its character: nursery children begin with listening to their surroundings, exploring materials and learning to play alongside one another. This is the nursery class within Christ Church CofE Primary School in Walshaw, Bury. A higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) holds the nursery lead role, while an EYFS lead sits within the school’s senior leadership team.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 22 and 23 November 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Listening comes before learning letter patterns. Nursery children follow Phase 1 of Junior Learning Letters and Sounds through focused sessions and activities woven into the day. They explore environmental sounds, giving them a starting point for later learning about letters and the sounds they represent. In November 2022, children across early years enjoyed participating in songs and rhymes. These give listening a social dimension too.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum connects creative expression with physical development and understanding the world. Nursery art includes making marks with broad arm movements, practising a controlled pencil grip and using scissors to snip paper. Children explore mixing colours and develop drawings with more detail, including faces. These activities give small hands practice while letting children communicate their ideas.
Choice matters in the creative work. Children select resources for their own plans, experiment with joining materials and investigate textures. Blocks and construction kits become imagined miniature worlds, including buildings and parks. Drawing and painting also give children ways to represent feelings, movement and noise. The emphasis is on making decisions and expressing something, alongside learning how tools and materials work.
Celebrating Diwali formed part of early years learning in November 2022, introducing children to experiences beyond their own families.
In November 2022, early years children adapted readily to school life and formed friendships soon after starting. They also willingly practised sharing and taking turns. For a child beginning group care, those social habits matter alongside the learning activities.
For additional needs, the school aims to identify difficulties early and work with families and outside agencies. Its approach favours support within the classroom where possible: a teacher or teaching assistant may work with an individual child or a small group, with tasks adapted to their needs. Speech and language interventions can also take place outside class. Parents can contact the SENCo through the school office to discuss their child’s needs.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the normal deadline. Treat choosing Seedlings and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
The school is on Church Street, Walshaw, Bury, BL8 3AX. Nursery enquiries can go through the school office on 01204 883415 or by email to christchurch@thesycamoretrust.co.uk.
The nursery class is Seedlings, within Christ Church CofE Primary School.
Nursery children learn Phase 1 through Junior Learning Letters and Sounds, with focused sessions and daily activities. At the November 2022 inspection, nursery children explored sounds around them, while songs and rhymes involved children across early years.
Activities include drawing, painting, colour mixing, snipping paper with scissors, joining materials and creating miniature worlds with blocks and construction kits.
Contact the SENCo through the school office. The school’s support model includes individual or small-group help and adapted tasks, with classroom support wherever possible.
No. Nursery and Reception admission are separate processes, and families must apply separately for Reception through the normal route by the normal deadline.
