Hawes Primary School Nursery

Three-hour mornings in Class 1 give Hawes Primary School’s nursery a clear shape: a school-based start for children aged 3 and 4, with play and early learning fitted into the morning. Nursery runs on five mornings each week. This is a practical choice for families seeking a regular morning pattern.

Class 1 includes nursery and Reception children, placing the youngest learners within the school’s foundation-stage provision. Sharing a class is a feature of the daily setting, rather than an entitlement to a later school place.

Play leads much of the learning, with adults also bringing children together for activities such as learning songs. Opportunities take place outside as well as inside. The balance gives children time to follow their interests alongside experiences directed by an adult.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers movement, communication and children’s social and emotional development, together with early number work, literacy, creativity and discovering the world. In parent terms, the curriculum reaches beyond reading and counting to how children express themselves, relate to others and explore. Phonics, maths, reading and writing generally take place in small groups organised by similar ability.

Pearson’s Phonics Bug is the named phonics programme used in the EYFS, introducing the connections between sounds and letters before children practise combining and separating sounds in words. School classrooms have interactive whiteboards, giving teachers a shared screen for learning activities.

In November 2024, early-years findings highlighted children’s sustained attention, learning shaped around their interests and confident language development. Nursery routines helped children begin playing alongside one another. Speaking and understanding were strengths, with adults encouraging children to contribute their ideas.

Settling is approached as a partnership with parents and carers. The school aims for children to become comfortable and secure promptly, and first-time school entrants receive an induction tailored to their needs in the Foundation class. The emphasis is on the individual child.

For families needing adjustments to communication, options include larger-print letters, different languages and explanations by telephone. These give parents different ways to take part in their child’s education. The school’s special educational needs coordinator can be contacted through the school office, providing a route for discussing concerns about additional needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. North Yorkshire Local Authority coordinates admissions on the school’s behalf, so nursery enrolment and the later school application should be treated as separate decisions.

The shared Class 1 arrangement gives nursery children experience of a class that also includes Reception children. That classroom connection must be kept separate from the allocation of places.

Mornings run from 9am until noon. Parents may have five free sessions each week from the autumn term after their child’s third birthday. The timing condition matters when planning the start of funded attendance.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01969 667308 or email hawes@ycatschools.co.uk. The school is at Town Head, Hawes, DL8 3RQ. The noon finish is the key practical consideration for families arranging the rest of their child’s day.