St Thomas Church of England Primary School Nursery Review

Growing plants, making soup and exploring sounds give this nursery its practical character. At St Thomas Church of England Primary School on Pimhole Road in Bury, learning starts with things children can handle, hear and talk about. The nursery forms part of the school’s early years provision, with activities that connect language, movement and growing independence.

Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 11 and 12 June 2024. Nursery-specific findings highlighted children learning to cooperate in play and manage school routines with skilled adult support. Those are useful foundations for a child’s first experience of learning in a group.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together children’s communication, social development, physical skills and early learning. Here, themes give those strands concrete subject matter: People Who Help Us leads to making emergency vehicles, while In the Garden introduces plants and growing food. Children explore ideas through making and conversation.

Language receives deliberate attention. Adults respond to children’s interests, model speech and help them reuse new vocabulary through stories and role play. Makaton signs support vocabulary development, alongside Wellcomm assessments and interventions for communication and language. For parents, the emphasis is on helping children express themselves and understand others.

Letters and Sounds Phase One focuses on listening: environmental noises, percussion with the body, rhyme and voice sounds precede oral blending and segmenting. Maths uses Master the Curriculum, with sorting, patterns, shape and comparisons of quantity among the planned activities. These give children practical ways to explore sounds and mathematical ideas.

Outside exploration continues through different seasons and weather. Planting seeds and caring for plants bring changes in living things into children’s learning; the farm theme includes hatching eggs and discussing chicks’ development. Physical activities include scooters or bikes, ball skills and climbing apparatus. An art workshop supports independent practice, while a reflection area has a place in religious education. Making and movement both have a role.

Independence is part of the learning programme. Children practise managing personal care, talking about feelings and resolving disagreements. Adults help them understand rules and gradually remember them with fewer reminders. The practical implication is a nursery experience that includes learning how to share space and play with other children.

Families can join Stay and Read sessions and an All About Me Stay and Play activity. Workshops cover Makaton, sharing books, maths, early phonics and mark making, giving parents concrete ways to participate in learning. Food also appears as an activity: children make soup and explore foods associated with different countries.

The school’s support structure includes a SENCo and a parental support role, both linked to safeguarding leadership. These provide routes for discussing additional needs or family concerns.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the normal deadline. Learning to cooperate and follow routines helps children prepare for their next stage, but preparation and admission are separate matters.

The main school office handles enquiries. Contact 0161 764 7565 or stthomas@bury.gov.uk. The nursery is at St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Pimhole Road, Bury, BL9 7EY, so families have a direct contact route for starting an enquiry.