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Nursery at Lobley Hill Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play-based maths and seasonal creativity give Lobley Hill’s nursery its clearest character. Leaf printing and Halloween preparations featured in its October 2024 news, while the early years maths approach mixes play with small-group teaching. This is the school’s own nursery provision at Rothbury Gardens in Gateshead, within a school whose curriculum uses its grounds as a learning resource.
The 2024 nursery admissions guidance describes entry from the term following a child’s third birthday, conditional on a place being available.
Maths comes in short bursts across the early years day, alongside play and focused group work. That gives children different ways to meet mathematical ideas: through interaction as well as time spent on a shared task. The emphasis is on activities suited to their developmental stage.
Read Write Inc. begins within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The programme connects letters with speech sounds, using Fred Frog to help children join sounds into words. Letter formation accompanies phonics. These are parts of the school’s early years approach, rather than a timetable for each nursery child.
Willow News supplies a concrete example of nursery activity: in October 2024, children’s learning included printing with leaves and imaginative spell casting for Halloween. Seasonal materials and make-believe sit alongside the more structured learning. The school’s wider physical setting includes extensive grounds used for curriculum experiences.
A nursery teacher appears in the staff team, and the school also has a Family Support Worker. Families with concerns about additional needs can contact the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) for a discussion or appointment through the school’s main telephone number.
The SEND approach includes identifying needs early, adapting learning and working with families and outside professionals. Its stated areas of support include communication, learning, emotional needs and physical or sensory needs. For parents, the useful starting point is a conversation about the individual child.
The Wellbeing page brings together Breathing Techniques, The Little Orange Book and Family Thrive. These give families named resources to explore alongside school support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year.
The school’s 2024 admissions guidance directed Reception applicants to Gateshead Council’s online school admissions service. Treat nursery registration and the later school-place application as two separate tasks. Planning for Reception remains necessary even when a child already attends the nursery.
The school’s 2024 nursery admissions guidance described registration in person with a child’s name, address and birth date, followed by an application form sent at the appropriate time. Contact the school on 0191 433 4080 or lobleyhillprimaryschool@gateshead.gov.uk to confirm current arrangements.
Early years clothing advice favours pull-on garments and Velcro shoe fastenings, practical choices for children learning to manage dressing. Clothing should be labelled, with children shown where to find their name.
The 2024 admissions guidance gives the term after a child’s third birthday as the starting point, provided a place is available.
No. Families need a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process for their child’s entry year.
It combines learning through play, focused group activities and short sessions spread across the day.
The school’s SENCo can be contacted for a discussion or appointment on 0191 433 4080, or through lobleyhillprimaryschool@gateshead.gov.uk.
The 2024 guidance described registration in person followed by an application form. To confirm the current procedure, contact the school on 0191 433 4080 or lobleyhillprimaryschool@gateshead.gov.uk.
