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Nursery at Mount Pellon Primary Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Stories, sound games and Little Land give Mount Pellon’s nursery a clear focus on language. Little Land is the nursery and early years strand of Northern Education Trust’s Reading Routes programme, while daily stories and freely chosen books make reading part of ordinary play. Children have several ways to engage with books before they can read independently.
The provision caters for three- and four-year-olds within Mount Pellon Primary Academy on Battinson Road in Halifax. Its early years approach combines activities chosen by children with experiences directed by adults. The school aims to develop independence through this balance: children can pursue an idea themselves, then take part in learning an adult has planned.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) organises learning into seven areas. Here, communication, physical development and social and emotional learning sit alongside work on literacy, mathematics and understanding the world. In parent terms, learning includes how children talk, move and relate to others, as well as their first encounters with reading and numbers.
Phase One phonics begins in Nursery. Children practise listening and speaking, hearing sounds and combining them orally; stories, poetry, songs and rhymes introduce vocabulary. Essential Letters and Sounds is the academy’s phonics programme, but the nursery emphasis is on those foundations. Shared book talk gives children opportunities to discuss what they hear rather than simply listen to a story.
Learning zones, sensory experiences and materials suited to children’s ages shape the early years environment. Play takes place outdoors as well as inside, with physical experiences supporting coordination and balance. Mathematics uses a mastery approach: children explore a concept, practise it and apply it over time. Early years history also starts close to home, with language about local buildings and the lives of parents and grandparents. Familiar experiences become material for conversation and learning.
Tapestry connects learning at nursery with life at home. Parents can see activities and progress through the app and contribute examples of their child’s learning outside school. That gives staff and families a fuller picture of the child. Parent consultations provide another opportunity to discuss development, while stay and play sessions and workshops bring families into the early years setting.
Books can travel home too. A lending library allows parents to borrow storybooks each day, extending shared reading beyond the nursery session and into family life.
For children with additional needs, the academy creates individual learning plans using assessments, professional advice and information from families and children. Support depends on the child: it may involve academy staff, Portage, an Educational Psychologist or Speech and Language Therapy. Parents can arrange a telephone conversation or appointment with the SEND coordinator through the main office. This provides a direct route for discussing support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year. Calderdale residents apply online through Calderdale Council; families living elsewhere apply through their home local authority.
For the September 2026 entry cycle, the closing date was 15 January 2026. That deadline has passed. Treat the Reception application as a separate task from choosing nursery.
The academy also encourages families to develop children’s personal, emotional, social and physical readiness for starting school. That preparation concerns children’s development; it does not secure admission.
Morning nursery runs from 08:30 to 11:30, and the afternoon session from 12:00 to 15:00. These are distinct session windows, so families should plan collection around the nursery times.
The nursery offers 15 funded hours and 30 funded hours with a code. General enquiries go through the academy office on 01422 349618. Academy tours can be arranged by appointment through the office, giving prospective families an opportunity to explore the setting before choosing it.
The nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds within Mount Pellon Primary Academy.
The morning session is 08:30 to 11:30. The afternoon session is 12:00 to 15:00.
Nursery children take part in Phase One phonics, developing listening, speaking and awareness of sounds. Daily stories, shared book talk and Reading Routes also form part of nursery reading provision.
Parents can use Tapestry to view activities and progress and share learning from home. Regular parent consultations provide time to discuss development with staff.
No. Families need a separate Reception application through Calderdale Council if they live in Calderdale, or through their home local authority if they live elsewhere.
