St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead: Nursery Review

Stories, conversation and the first steps in reading give St Wilfrid's early years provision its clearest character. Children talk about their responses to stories as well as learning about numbers and letter sounds. The emphasis is on building foundations for later learning.

The nursery belongs to St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School in Gateshead, on Old Fold Road. The school's age range begins at three. Membership of Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust places the provision within both a primary school and a wider Catholic education organisation.

Communication and language have a clear place in early learning here. In March 2025, children in early years developed enthusiasm for books through carefully chosen texts. They discussed the feelings different parts of a story prompted. For parents, that connects early reading with learning to express an idea or an emotional response, rather than treating books simply as an exercise in recognising words.

Phonics, learning how sounds relate to written letters, is another focus. Support with sounds and letters gave children a foundation for later learning; trained adults intervened quickly wherever understanding was incomplete. This is a specific strength of the early years provision identified at the 11 March 2025 inspection.

Number learning sits alongside language. Children acquired basic number knowledge and became confident using it; their learning also extended into other areas of the curriculum. Together, these examples show attention to both talking about meaning and understanding numbers.

Staff training matters to the early years learning described above: recognising a child's difficulty with phonics gives adults a specific starting point for support. The March 2025 findings connect that identification with prompt action, rather than simply describing staff qualifications in isolation.

At trust level, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust places early recognition of additional needs alongside inclusion and allocating greater support where need is greater. Its approach includes adapting teaching to the child and making reasonable adjustments. These are trust principles, rather than a nursery-specific judgement about their effectiveness.

Classroom teachers hold responsibility for SEND provision within the trust's approach, with guidance and support from its central education team. That structure places responsibility for adapting learning with the adults teaching children. The trust also provides visits to its schools for tailored training and curriculum support, giving staff access to help beyond their immediate school team.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing a nursery place and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

The school address is Old Fold Road, Gateshead, NE10 0DJ. For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 01914771909. This is the school contact route for families considering its nursery provision.