Brookside Primary School Nursery Review

Purposeful play gives Brookside's nursery its direction: the school aims to combine children's own choices with activities started or led by adults. The emphasis is on learning for life, with independence and decision-making among its aims.

This is Brookside Primary School's own nursery in Great Sutton, on Rostherne Avenue. A nursery teacher sits within the school team. For parents, that means choosing nursery provision within a primary school, with access to the school's routes for discussing learning, additional needs and family support.

Two sessions shape the day: mornings run from 9am to noon, and afternoons from noon to 3pm. These are the nursery's hours, so families should build their daily arrangements around those session boundaries.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together physical development, language and relationships with early literacy, mathematics, creativity and learning about the world. Brookside aims to teach these through play, balancing adult direction with activities children initiate themselves. The practical implication is a curriculum that extends beyond early reading and counting: communication, movement and social development also have a place.

Books give learning a concrete focus. At the July 2023 inspection, early years learning used engaging books to develop topics, while children applied their phonics knowledge to reading unfamiliar words and making labels. These examples connect reading and writing with something children can actually do. They give parents a useful picture of early literacy in action.

Before children start, Foundation Stage staff meet parents. Where additional needs require planning, an Action for Inclusion meeting can bring together the family and involved professionals to organise support. This makes the initial conversation about the individual child, including any help needed from the outset.

School support includes an Inclusion Manager responsible for special educational needs coordination, a pastoral manager and an Emotional Literacy and Support Assistant (ELSA). Personalised learning plans involve parents and are reviewed termly. Depending on a child's needs, possible resources include visual timetables, speech and language intervention and Sensory Circuits; these are options rather than a standard package for every child.

Physical adaptations include a handrail in the nursery toilet. Across the school, wheelchair access, a changing station and the Quiet Room provide further practical support. Parents with concerns about development or wellbeing should speak first to their child's class teacher, giving them a direct route into the support process.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) admissions process by the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions.

Transition has its own purpose. A summer-term programme operates for every class, with enhanced arrangements for children with special educational needs according to their needs. That preparation supports the move between classes; it does not secure admission.

School uniform is required when children attend school and for school-organised events outside normal hours. This is a practical consideration when preparing for nursery.

Visits can be arranged by contacting the school at a convenient time. For enquiries, call 0151 558 1123 or email schooloffice@brookside.cheshire.sch.uk. The contact form also accepts general enquiries and questions about SEND or child protection.