Belmont Cheveley Park Primary School Nursery Review

Purposeful play, a dedicated role-play room and outdoor learning zones give Belmont Cheveley Park’s Pre-School its character. This is the school’s nursery provision, with sessions capped at 24 children and a team of three to four staff. That session size gives families a concrete picture of the group their child will join.

The provision sits within the school’s early-years setting, with links to its classroom environment and resources. Ofsted graded early years Good at the inspection on 30 April to 1 May 2024. That is an early-years judgement within the school inspection.

Play carries the learning. Planned activities give children first-hand experiences, opportunities to practise skills and space for creative expression. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning about language, movement, relationships, books, numbers, the world and creative work. Communication, physical development and personal development receive the initial emphasis, giving children foundations on which other learning can build.

The early-years environment includes a classroom, outdoor zones designed for use in different weather conditions and a separate role-play room. These spaces form part of the curriculum rather than simply providing somewhere to spend a session. Activities are adapted to children’s interests and individual needs, so the planning can respond to the child rather than following a fixed sequence regardless of their development.

Practical exploration also appears in the science curriculum, which specifically identifies hands-on learning in Pre-School. In April and May 2024, nursery learning provided strong preparation for phonics. Together, these details point to a day built around direct experience and early foundations for reading.

A Pre-School key worker appears in the staff structure, alongside the session team. Partnership with parents is an explicit early-years aim: staff seek to build on learning that has already begun at home. Children entering the early-years unit have a Durham County Baseline Assessment, and their progress is then tracked through their time there. This gives staff a starting point for planning around individual development.

For families discussing additional needs, the school’s SENCo is a contact for questions about SEND provision. The school also has Enhanced Mainstream Provision for speech, language and communication, with specialists on site. That wider school provision is distinct from an entitlement to a specialist nursery place.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. The local authority sets the admission criteria; families can complete their preference form online or return it to the Admissions & Transport Entitlement Team.

Transition support is a separate matter. The school’s programme includes open days, sessions to meet the teacher and meetings with school leadership. These offer opportunities for families to prepare for starting school, but they do not secure admission.

The booking pattern is five morning sessions or five afternoon sessions. Families choosing between them are therefore choosing a consistent session pattern.

For enquiries, use the Pre-School contact form or telephone 0191 3869494. The Pre-School page also links to an application form. The school is on Scardale Way in Belmont, Durham, DH1 2TX.