Kells Lane Primary School Nursery

Mathematical language reaches right into Nursery at Kells Lane: in June 2022, children were using the word subitising correctly during maths activities. That specific example gives a flavour of provision where learning includes precise vocabulary, rather than simply completing an activity.

The nursery belongs to Kells Lane Primary School in Low Fell, Gateshead, where the school's age range begins at three. Nursery provision moved in September 2021, when its places increased to 52. Those are historical figures, rather than a statement of today's availability. Ofsted judged early years provision Good following the inspection on 28 and 29 June 2022.

In June 2022, early years planning identified what children should learn across knowledge, skills and vocabulary. In plain parent language, the learning had a defined purpose: what children would know, what they could do and the words they could use. The mathematics example makes that approach concrete. Nursery children were learning to use a specific mathematical term accurately, giving language a place alongside the activity itself.

Teachers and teaching assistants developed children's learning through questions and conversation. Their questions helped take learning further, while adults also taught children to use demanding vocabulary correctly. For families, this makes the adult's role an important part of the day: the interaction around an activity matters as well as the activity itself.

Learning extended across indoor and outdoor environments. In June 2022, children were engaged and challenged in both, so the outdoor environment formed part of their learning too.

Curriculum oversight. Some subject leaders did not understand sufficiently how their subjects were planned and taught in early years. They needed a clearer grasp of this learning and better sequencing across the school. This was a leadership concern relevant to the continuity of children's learning, alongside the positive findings about adults' interactions with children.

Communication with families was part of early years practice in June 2022. Staff kept parents and carers informed about their child's learning. That gives families a connection to what their child is doing, beyond the activity itself.

The teaching team included teachers and teaching assistants, with both contributing to conversations that extended learning. For a parent considering the nursery, those exchanges are a concrete example of how adult support connected with children's learning.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place in the school's Reception. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate processes: families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions route by the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the later school application as two distinct decisions. A place in the nursery should never be taken as confirmation of a Reception place.

Kells Lane Primary School is on Kells Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5HX. The school telephone number is 01914334140, providing a direct contact route for nursery enquiries.