Eastborough Academy Nursery Review

Music punctuates nursery sessions at Eastborough: rhyme and rhythm help children listen, mark routines and find moments of calm. This is the nursery within Eastborough Academy on Rockley Street in Dewsbury, where the school’s age range begins at three. An EYFS lead and an EYFS lead practitioner form part of the early years team. Eastborough Academy has no Ofsted graded rating yet.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings care and learning together. Its starting points here are talking and listening, physical development, and children’s emotional and social lives. Alongside these, children explore early mathematics, literacy, creativity and the world around them. Adults respond to children’s interests and individual needs, so learning can build from something that already catches a child’s attention.

Launchpad for Literacy supports the skills children need before formal phonics. Music also has a practical role across nursery sessions: it accompanies routines and celebrations, supports movement and provides a calming activity. Listening practice is woven into the day.

Creative work is hands-on. Nursery children experiment with colour combinations and texture, exploring how changing materials changes their artwork. Technology is another part of classroom provision, with tablets, mobile phones and interactive screens used for investigation and adult demonstration. These give children concrete objects to explore rather than simply hear about.

Outside, the purpose-built early years area is used daily for movement, including climbing and balancing. Weekly PE and daily focused activities for small hand movements complement that outdoor play. Nursery science uses the outdoor area to explore natural changes; children practise grouping objects and testing simple predictions. Whether a snowman can last forever is one example. The emphasis is on noticing, trying and talking about what happens.

Partnership with parents is part of the EYFS approach, alongside recognising that children develop at different speeds. Across the academy, families receive weekly updates. This gives parents a regular connection with school life.

School support includes a special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo), a SEND teaching assistant and support from the trust’s SEND team. Kirklees Information Advice and Support Service (KIAS) helps families whose children have identified special educational needs, as well as parents who are concerned about possible needs. Families can raise safeguarding concerns with designated safeguarding staff.

Food arrangements across the school include menus that change each term. The academy describes the meals as balanced and nutritious. Drinking water is freely accessible, and reusable bottles are encouraged, giving children a straightforward way to keep water close during the day.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions: attending this provision does not itself secure the next place.

Nursery children use their classroom doors for morning entry. Teaching staff greet classes at 8:40 am; gates shut at 8:50 am, with later arrivals directed to the front office. That gives families a clear morning routine.

Uniform for nursery children includes a royal blue cardigan, sweatshirt or V-neck jumper, a white top, and grey or black trousers or a skirt. A logo is optional on the blue layer. Clothing and equipment should be labelled with the child’s name and class, helping staff return misplaced belongings.

Parent enquiries go through the school business manager, using the academy’s contact form, info@eastborough.org.uk or 01924 311361.