St John's Radcliffe Nursery Review

Stories, colour mixing and making things give this nursery its character. St John's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe has an integrated nursery within a primary school with one class per year group. Its Christian identity comes with a welcome for families of any faith and those with none. The school identifies courage, perseverance and love as its guiding values, giving parents a clear sense of its intended ethos.

Early years provision was graded Good at the Ofsted inspection of 17 and 18 May 2022. That judgement covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery. The strongest nursery-relevant findings concern language: in May 2022, work on speaking and vocabulary was helping young children make a successful start.

Books provide a starting point for talking and imagining. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) retell stories, explore the difference between imaginary events and real ones, and experiment with unfamiliar vocabulary. Here, early learning involves expressing ideas as well as listening. In May 2022, children in early years heard rhymes and stories, with sounds taught in a planned sequence.

Practical work adds another way to communicate. Nursery design technology uses Kapow units, including Sliding Santas, Fruit Kebabs and Weaving. These bring making, food preparation and work with textiles into the curriculum. They give parents concrete examples of activities beyond books and conversation. Fruit Kebabs is a cooking activity, rather than evidence of the nursery's meal arrangements.

Across EYFS art, children practise handling brushes, mixing colours and choosing tools such as sponges or fabric to make marks. They can turn an imagined object into a model using plasticine, or join boxes and other packaging to create shapes. Those activities connect an idea with something a child can draw, paint or build.

Reading also has a physical place in school life. The school library is used by every class, while a book vending machine lets each child select a birthday book to keep. That gives children a link between enjoying books at school and having their own reading material at home.

Nursery staffing includes a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) role combined with responsibility for community engagement and charity coordination. The wider school team includes a family liaison officer and a teaching assistant with pastoral and inclusion responsibilities.

In art, teaching adjustments for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can include visual prompts, adapted materials and additional adult help. These are practical ways to make creative activities accessible, with support shaped around pupils' individual plans.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet its deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for a school place are separate decisions.

The nursery is part of the school on Johnson Street in Radcliffe. Enquiries can go through the main school office on 0161 723 1078 or by email to stjohns@thesycamoretrust.co.uk. School tours are offered to families interested in a place, providing an opportunity to see the setting before making that decision.