William Stockton Community Primary School Nursery

Scooters, model building and learning to prepare a snack give William Stockton’s nursery curriculum a practical character. Children’s growing independence sits alongside early language, counting and friendships, rather than being treated as a separate task.

This is the nursery provision within William Stockton Community Primary School on Heathfield Road in Ellesmere Port. The primary school admits children from age three. The nursery’s planned activities connect small physical achievements, such as handling tools and putting on clothing, with learning to communicate and play together.

The 2025/26 nursery programme followed the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework linking children’s communication, personal development and movement with literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative work. In parent terms, learning involved talking, making, moving and exploring, alongside early work with sounds and numbers.

A visual timetable was part of the plan, helping children connect activities with the sequence of their day. Classroom references included a carpet, a snack area and outdoor space. Physical learning planned scooter riding, pedalling a tricycle and balancing across a bench. These activities gave movement and coordination a place alongside quieter work with beads, paintbrushes and scissors.

Themes included Let’s Grow and Marvellous Minibeasts. Children were to observe seasonal changes and investigate creatures, making the natural world something to examine rather than simply hear about. Construction involved blocks, boxes and joining materials; children could make models and decide how to attach their parts.

Language work moved from recognising pictures in stories towards asking questions and recalling experiences. Early literacy included listening for word sounds and experimenting with marks. Mathematics used finger rhymes, comparisons between small groups of objects and shapes in play. The emphasis was on connecting ideas with things children could handle and discuss.

Learning to manage separation from a main carer was an early goal in the 2025/26 programme. Familiar-group speaking work referred to a key person. Handwashing, drinking water and increasing independence with toileting also formed part of the plan, giving everyday care routines a learning purpose.

Food preparation included practising pouring, spreading and chopping. Parent involvement included a nursery welcome meeting and opportunities to join activities. These offered families a way to share in the learning programme.

Behaviour follows Good to be Green, using praise and rewards alongside staged consequences. Nursery children move their names between the frog poster, its edge and the wall as stages escalate; parents are contacted at later stages. For children with special educational needs, different strategies can be agreed with parents and the support team.

SEND support uses Assess, Plan, Do, Review: staff consider needs, plan support, put it into practice and review progress. Parents of children on the SEND register are invited to termly discussions, providing a regular opportunity to contribute to decisions.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.

The 2025/26 nursery programme included Reception Transition Weeks and visits to the new classroom. That planned familiarisation could help children prepare for a different routine. It is separate from the allocation of places.

For enquiries, contact the school on 0151 355 1650. Families can also arrange an appointment to discuss a child’s additional needs, giving staff and parents an opportunity to consider support together.