Haslingden St James Nursery Review

A morning session and a Christian school setting give St James’ nursery its practical shape. Nursery hours run from 8:50am to 11:50am, within Haslingden St James Church of England Primary School on Regent Street in Haslingden. For families organising the day, that lunchtime finish is the first detail to weigh.

Kindness is the school’s overarching value. Friendship, Trust and Forgiveness are among its named core values, and Values Trees display these across the school. The school sees these values as tools for building relationships. Its Christian identity is explicit, with close links to St. James’ Church and an aim to develop respect for different faiths and ways of life.

The nursery has its own morning hours, ending before the wider school’s afternoon. That gives families a clear session boundary rather than a school-length day.

Within early years, art combines activities children choose with tasks directed by adults. Children experiment with materials and media, with creative activities accessible during ongoing classroom provision. This gives them opportunities both to follow an idea themselves and to practise something an adult introduces. Expressive Arts and Design is the area used to assess this work, with progress tracked each term.

Story work provides a concrete example of the school’s EYFS learning, meaning its Early Years Foundation Stage provision. Activities around The Three Little Pigs have included painting pigs from observation, retelling with puppets, adding actions to a story map and making houses with construction materials. The sequence links talking, remembering and making: children have several ways to engage with the same story. These are early-years examples rather than a fixed nursery timetable.

Staffing includes a nursery teacher whose role also covers work as an EYFS higher-level teaching assistant, alongside a nursery teaching assistant. These are nursery-specific roles within the wider school team.

A sensory room is a physical resource shared across the school and accessed by all its children. The school identifies it as an important experience for some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Families can contact the special educational needs coordinator through the office, giving them a direct route for inclusion questions.

Support also extends to family circumstances. Family Help includes referrals and signposting, while the Caring Cupboard supplies items such as toiletries and new or preloved uniform to families who need them. Parents can approach the office for this support. It is a practical part of the wider school’s provision for families.

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

Morning collection. Nursery finishes at 11:50am. Families needing care beyond that point should factor the session’s end into their daily arrangements.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01706 214134 or email office@haslingden-st-james.lancs.sch.uk. Families can also speak to a member of staff at the office. The school and nursery share the Regent Street address, BB4 5HQ.