Little Owls Nursery at Our Lady and St Thomas, Willington

At the November 2023 inspection, children’s interests and seasonal themes shaped learning in the school’s early years. This is the nursery at Our Lady and St Thomas Catholic Primary School in Willington, with provision on the school site and management by the school itself. It gives families a nursery within a primary-school setting.

Early years provision received a Good judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 November 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision; it is not a separate inspection grade for Little Owls alone.

A full nursery day runs from 9am to 3pm, alongside part-time provision. The morning session finishes at noon. For a family choosing between a shorter session and a full day, that distinction matters: the nursery can form either part of the day or its main daytime arrangement.

In November 2023, staff connected different areas of early years learning through children’s interests and themes such as bonfire night. That approach gave learning a familiar starting point, with adults planning how the areas fitted together.

The balance between planning and familiarity also matters. In November 2023, children understood the early years routines and became comfortable in the setting quickly. Knowing what happens next can help a young child take part in the session rather than spend it adjusting to unfamiliar expectations.

Knowledgeable adults supported children in the early years in November 2023, and children settled promptly. These findings give parents a dated picture of the support surrounding the nursery day, as well as the learning itself.

Additional needs. A school-wide concern in November 2023 was that SEND support plans needed more detail, with some learning tasks insufficiently adapted to individual needs. This was a finding about the school, rather than a nursery-only conclusion. For families whose child needs extra support, the practical issue is how an individual plan translates into suitable activities. The school has a SEND coordinator as a contact for these discussions.

Attending Little Owls does not guarantee a Reception place at Our Lady and St Thomas. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Starting nursery and securing a school place are separate decisions.

The Reception application route is an electronic form through Durham County Council. Where applications exceed the places available, allocation follows the published oversubscription criteria. Families should therefore treat the nursery choice on its own merits and complete the school application separately.

The full-time pattern is described as 30 hours, with a 15-hour part-time option also offered. A morning session runs from 9am to noon. Two short extensions flank the nursery day: 8.45am to 9am and 3pm to 3.15pm. Those extensions may matter when coordinating nursery attendance with another child’s school day.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01388 746336 or email office@olst.bhcet.org.uk. The school is on Cumberland Terrace, Willington, DL15 0PB.