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Nursery at Lady Barn House 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A water pump, climbing apparatus and specialist music teaching give Lady Barn’s nursery day a distinctive mix of practical play and planned learning. This is the pre-school provision within Lady Barn House School’s Early Years Department in Cheadle. Children join in September after their third birthday, for the year before Reception.
In November 2024, the nursery had three classes. Specialist teaching in PE and music starts in Nursery, so these activities form part of children’s education from the outset.
The day has a clear rhythm. Registration starts at 8:40, followed by morning learning, a milk-and-snack break and lunch. Afternoon learning finishes with snack and story time before dismissal from 15:30. That gives children familiar pauses between activities, rather than one uninterrupted stretch of lessons.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) takes practical form through language, movement, early mathematics and learning to play together. In November 2024, ISI found that early-years teachers planned activities around children’s existing skills and differing aptitudes. Stories introduce new vocabulary; songs and nursery rhymes develop awareness of sounds. Children practise following instructions, progressing from one step to two. Counting objects during play and arranging shapes into pictures make mathematical ideas tangible.
Outside, climbing apparatus and a water pump provide opportunities to develop physical skills through play. Adults model sharing and taking turns when children work together, making social learning part of the activity itself. Visiting doctors, paramedics and dentists introduce the work of people who help others. These encounters connect classroom topics with people children may recognise beyond school.
Language support has a specific nursery focus. By November 2024, every Nursery staff member had received training in early language development, while early-years booster groups provided support suited to individual children. For a child who needs help with speaking and listening, this connects staff training with targeted practice.
Qualified adults supervised the early years effectively, with generous staffing ratios, in November 2024. Collection and drop-off procedures were carefully managed, and early-years staff included paediatric first aiders. Form teachers are a point of contact for parents’ questions and concerns, backed by the department head and the pastoral deputy head.
Lunch is included for both part-time and full-time nursery attendance. Under-fives can also receive milk through Cool Milk if parents opt in. These arrangements make meals part of the booking decision.
Safeguarding policy clarity. The November 2024 inspection identified confusing school-wide guidance about reporting low-level concerns, which leaders corrected during the inspection. Its recommendation for clearer policies and sufficient oversight remains relevant to families assessing care arrangements.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Confirm with Admissions what progression requirements apply to existing Nursery children. An initial enquiry leads to access to the Veracross application portal; formal offers for Nursery and Reception begin a year before entry and depend on availability and the school’s admission requirements. Families should plan ahead rather than assume that nursery attendance settles the next step.
Attendance is term-time, with three terms each year. Families book five mornings including lunch, five full days, or five mornings with between one and four fixed afternoons. Morning sessions run from 8:40 to 11:40, with collection after lunch at 12:30; afternoon sessions run from 12:30 to 15:30. Afternoons are attached to particular weekdays, with changes possible at set points during the year. Amendments must be emailed to the Assistant Bursar at least two weeks before the designated change dates.
The nursery accepts the 15-hour term-time early education entitlement from the term after a child turns three, and the 30-hour entitlement for eligible families. Ask the school for current charges and a funding-adjusted breakdown. Nursery after-school care from 16:15 to 18:00 is chargeable and requires advance booking.
Stevensons supplies the uniform, with a separate pre-school list. Use the Contact Us enquiry route or email admissions@ladybarnhouse.org to arrange a weekday tour during term time.
Children join in September following their third birthday.
Yes. The booking pattern is five mornings with lunch, with collection at 12:30. Families can instead add between one and four fixed afternoons or book five full days.
Lunch is included for full-time and part-time nursery children. Milk through Cool Milk is free for under-fives whose parents opt in.
The nursery accepts the 15-hour term-time entitlement from the term following a child’s third birthday and offers the 30-hour entitlement to families meeting the government’s eligibility criteria.
No. Reception needs its own admissions decision. The school’s application route uses Veracross, and formal offers begin a year before entry, subject to availability and admission requirements.
