St Stephen's Church of England Primary School Nursery

A full day ending at 2:45pm or an afternoon ending at 3:30pm gives this pre-school two distinct rhythms. The nursery belongs to St Stephen's Church of England Primary School on Colville Drive in Bury, with provision starting from age three. Nursery collection is from the EYFS Building, placing the youngest children within the school's early-years space.

No Ofsted graded rating yet.

Full Day Provision runs from 8:45am to 2:45pm; Afternoon Provision starts at 12:30pm and finishes at 3:30pm. That difference matters when fitting nursery around work or care by relatives: the full-day option finishes earlier than the afternoon option. Extra hours can be purchased optionally.

The curriculum is matched to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The school aims to develop literacy, numeracy and oracy: reading and writing, number skills and spoken communication. It describes learning that involves children working together and taking an active part, with real experiences intended to help learning stick. For parents, the emphasis is on how children use and remember what they learn, alongside the activities themselves.

Lunch brings several choices. Children having school dinners can use a salad bar, and daily options include vegetarian and Halal meals, alongside alternatives such as sandwiches or jacket potatoes. Fruit is an alternative to dessert, and water accompanies the meal. Menus rotate over three weeks and change twice yearly, giving children some variation across the term. Preschool meals are charged; families should refer to the school for current charges.

For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school's coordinator can be contacted through the office or by email. Bury SENDIASS and the Bury SEND Local Offer provide further routes to advice and local support. These give families named points of contact when discussing additional needs.

Parents can request a teacher appointment through the office. At collection, adults are asked to leave space around the doors so staff can recognise the collecting parent or carer before releasing a child. The handover depends on that identification.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Keep this as a distinct step from booking nursery provision.

Bury Council handles the Reception application route linked by the school. Nursery applications go to the school office instead, so completing one application should not be treated as completing both.

Children usually join in the September after their third birthday, when funding is available. A paid start from the third birthday is possible; earlier entry through the nursery's early-bird arrangement depends on space. This gives some flexibility over the starting point, subject to availability.

Applications can be delivered to the main office, posted or emailed to ststephens@thesycamoretrust.co.uk. The telephone number is 0161 764 1132. Visits can be arranged by appointment through the office.

Collection times. The two nursery patterns finish at different times. Use the end time for the booked provision when planning collection from the EYFS Building.

Parking. Parents have permission to use Bolton Road Methodist Church's car park at the beginning and end of the school day. That provides a practical alternative where vehicle access around the school is awkward.