St Helen's Primary School Nursery Review

Books, rhymes and imaginative play give St Helen's nursery its character. This is the school's own provision for two- and three-year-olds on Durham Street in Hartlepool, with Sea Shells serving the younger children and nursery sitting within the Foundation Stage.

There are 26 nursery places per morning session and another 26 per afternoon session. Those are session capacities, rather than a count of children attending. Two-year-old provision operates in partnership with Hartlepool's local authority.

Stories give children something to talk about, act out and create. In April 2025, Ofsted found that nursery children enjoyed books and rhymes, while early years children developed the beginnings of writing through creative mark making. The emphasis is on building the foundations for literacy through participation.

Foundation Stage activities have included retelling The Three Billy Goats Gruff with props, repeating story phrases and making models from different materials. Role play has also involved practising taking turns. These examples make the Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, tangible for parents: learning includes language, creativity and getting along with other children.

Physical exploration matters too. Early years children have experimented with shapes and lines in a sandpit. Seasonal activities have included examining autumn objects and exploring snow, giving children actual materials to investigate. In April 2025, children in early years approached learning eagerly and cooperated during a bear-hunt activity, sharing resources and taking turns.

Sea Shells has a lead practitioner and a teaching assistant. Across the Foundation Stage, the team includes an early years leader, a class teacher and teaching assistants. These are distinct team structures for the younger provision and the wider early years stage.

For children receiving additional support because of SEND, parents participate in reviewing their Pupil Support Plan and receive a copy. Review conversations provide time to discuss what works and what needs changing. SEND planning. In April 2025, some support targets across the school were too general, making help less consistent for some pupils. Families with additional needs should pay close attention to how specific their child's targets are.

Stockton-on-Tees Council Catering Services supplies the school's meal service. School meals are prepared on site each morning, with main-course choices, vegetables or salad, and fruit or pudding. This describes the school catering arrangement rather than a separate nursery menu.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet the relevant deadline. Treat choosing a nursery session and securing a school place as separate decisions.

Northern Lights Learning Trust is the school's admissions authority. The local governing body considers applications passed on by the local authority, applying the school's admission criteria.

Morning nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. The nursery's 30-hour pattern runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Sea Shells also has morning and afternoon sessions, so distinguish the two-year-old provision from the older nursery when discussing a place.

Visits can be arranged through the school office on 01429 267038. General enquiries can also go to info.sthelens@nllt.co.uk. The school's uniform arrangements allow families to buy items without logos from supermarkets or local suppliers; a swap shop operates in the Main Reception area.