Croxby Primary School Nursery Review

Paint rollers, self-chosen craft materials and time to follow an idea give Croxby's early years provision a practical character. The nursery belongs to Croxby Primary School on Bricknell Avenue in Hull and forms part of its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Creative exploration sits alongside deliberate teaching of language and number.

In June 2026, Ofsted judged the school's early years provision to be Strong standard. That judgement covers the early years phase, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Teaching develops skills in manageable steps, with adults checking children's understanding and adjusting their support as learning progresses.

The early years day combines adult direction with space for children to pursue their interests. Mornings include organised teaching, while afternoons allow more sustained play. This gives children opportunities both to practise a particular skill and to spend longer exploring an idea.

Language receives close attention. Adults demonstrate how to express ideas and offer the beginnings of sentences to help children join in. Together with number work and phonics, this makes the EYFS here a combination of supported practice and exploration. Regular checks help staff decide what each child needs next.

Art brings that approach into focus. In the early years craft area, children choose their own materials and experiment with joining them using glue, string or tape. Junk modelling gives their choices a practical purpose. Outdoors, brushes of different sizes and paint rollers let children make marks on a larger scale, extending creative work beyond the craft area.

Food learning starts with a nursery-specific question: why wash hands before handling food? Mashing and mixing are part of the associated vocabulary. The emphasis connects practical activity with an everyday care habit children can begin to understand.

Predictable routines and reassuring adult relationships support children's emotional development. Early years teaching also includes ways to recognise and manage feelings, helping children settle into learning as well as practise new skills. Staff adapt activities so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and disadvantaged children, can participate with their peers.

The school's SEND arrangements give parents a route into that support: begin with the class teacher, with referral to the SENDCO where needed. Learning Support Plans include individual termly outcomes and invite parents' views. These arrangements make support a continuing conversation rather than a single decision.

Support precision. The June 2026 inspection's school-wide next step was to make interventions for vulnerable groups more precise. For families whose child needs additional help, the practical focus is how individual targets and support are reviewed.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority by its normal application deadline. East Riding residents use East Riding of Yorkshire Council; families living elsewhere apply through their own authority. Late applications are considered after those received on time, so this remains a separate task even for children already attending nursery.

For some children with SEND, transition support can include time in the new classroom, meetings with new adults or a transition book. The activities depend on the child's individual needs. Familiarisation supports the change of class; it does not secure admission.

The school office can be contacted at office@croxbyprimary.co.uk or on 01482 846171. Croxby's address is Bricknell Avenue, Hull, HU5 4TN.

Arbor handles school meal bookings and the school's bookings for trips, clubs and wraparound care. Parents can also update their contact information there. Accounts become accessible after the school's admission process has been completed.