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Nursery at Skelmanthorpe 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A mud kitchen, bug hotels and a playdough station give Skelmanthorpe Academy’s nursery a practical, play-based character. This is the school’s own nursery on Elm Street in Skelmanthorpe, within Team Jellyfish, which brings together Nursery, Reception and Year One. For families, that means an early years setting within a broader school class structure.
Morning and full-day sessions offer two different lengths of day. The learning environment combines indoor activity areas with outdoor provision, giving children opportunities to build, investigate and talk through their ideas.
Play carries much of the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together movement, communication and social development with early literacy, maths, creative expression and understanding the world. Skelmanthorpe aims to adapt this learning to individual children, using their interests alongside planned activities.
Indoors, children can explore a construction zone, a reading corner and small world play, as well as role play and creative activities. These spaces give different purposes to play: building involves working out how things fit together, while pretend play creates reasons to talk and share ideas. Forest School adds experiences such as shelter building and tree climbing, connecting physical activity with working together.
Outside, bikes and scooters sit alongside digging areas, sand and water play. The mud kitchen creates scope for imaginative games; bug hotels give children something concrete to investigate. In April 2025, early years children also visited allotments to grow plants, extending their interest in the natural world beyond the classroom.
The April 2025 Ofsted inspection found that adults developed children’s conversation skills and encouraged them to use newly learned vocabulary with one another. It also identified a weakness in the design of some outdoor activities, which limited learning at times. Outdoor resources are therefore part of the picture; how adults use them matters too.
Settling and routines received positive early years findings in April 2025: children were helped to become comfortable quickly and establish habits that supported learning. The staffing structure includes an EYFS class teacher and two nursery nurses. Both nursery nurse roles include first-aid responsibilities.
Class Dojo connects parents with class teachers through messages, activity updates and photographs. This gives families material for conversations about their child’s day. Parents are asked to allow time for replies and to retain face-to-face discussions rather than relying entirely on the app. For additional needs, families can contact the SEND coordinator through the school office; For children with SEND, PE activities may be adapted, and instructions and vocabulary are introduced beforehand.
School-wide meal arrangements include seasonal vegetables and fruit, with a salad bar available each day as an optional extra. Cooked meals and packed lunches are eaten together in the school hall. Families should confirm nursery meal access with the office. School-wide packed lunch rules exclude glass bottles, fizzy drinks and hot food in flasks.
Attending Skelmanthorpe Academy’s 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 securing a school place as separate decisions.
Team Jellyfish includes both Nursery and Reception, providing a shared class context. That organisational connection should not be read as an admissions entitlement.
Morning sessions run from 8:50am to 11:45am; full days run from 8:50am to 3:30pm. Choose the session length that fits your child and your family’s schedule.
Nursery doors open at 8:50am. After 9:00am, doors and gates are secured, and late arrivals use the main entrance through the school office. This makes punctual drop-off a practical consideration.
For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01484 863306 or email office@skelmanthorpeacademy.org. Refer to the school for current charges.
Morning sessions are 8:50am to 11:45am, and full-day sessions are 8:50am to 3:30pm.
The early years outdoor provision includes a mud kitchen, bug hotels, digging areas, bikes, scooters, and sand and water play. Forest School includes activities such as shelter building.
Class Dojo provides messages, photographs and class activity updates. Parents are also expected to keep face-to-face discussions with staff.
No. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process.
Contact the school office on 01484 863306 or email office@skelmanthorpeacademy.org.
