East Park Primary School Nursery

Flexible learning spaces and regular forest school sessions give East Park’s 54-place nursery a day built around exploration. The nursery belongs to the school’s Foundation Stage, with indoor and outdoor areas for play and learning. Spaces can open up for children to work together or operate separately, allowing the layout to change with the activities.

East Park brings together Gillshill Primary and Cavendish Primary. Ofsted judged early years provision Good at Gillshill’s inspection on 30 November and 1 December 2022, before the amalgamation. That judgement belongs to the provision inspected then.

Play combines children’s own choices with activities planned by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects learning about numbers and books with movement, communication, relationships, creativity and understanding the world. For parents, this means learning extends beyond early reading: talking through a game, handling materials and playing alongside another child are part of the curriculum too.

Art, drama and music sit alongside outdoor learning, including regular forest school sessions. Specialist teaching covers forest school, music and physical education. Read, Write Inc and Maths Mastery are the named approaches used across the Foundation Stage for literacy and mathematics.

The nursery’s summer 2026 learning included recognising rhymes, clapping syllables and beginning to write a name. Number work involved matching quantities to numerals and recognising small quantities at sight. Physical learning included wheeled resources, ball skills and balancing, while self-care goals included greater independence with dressing. These are practical steps towards doing more for themselves.

Adult interaction. In November and December 2022, some early-years interactions did not match the curriculum’s intentions, leaving opportunities to extend learning unused. The improvement required was greater staff confidence about the intended learning during activities, a useful point for families to explore when visiting.

Parents can take part in early-years activities covering books, writing, numbers and topics. Curriculum afternoons take place each half-term, connecting classroom learning with support at home.

For children with SEND, the school uses an assess, plan, do and review cycle, with parents involved in reviewing support at least three times each year. Visual timetables, practical resources and quiet spaces are among the adjustments used across the school. These give families concrete starting points for discussing their child’s needs.

Medical or physical needs can be addressed through an Individual Healthcare Plan, including feeding, intimate care or emergency arrangements where appropriate. Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) also work with early-years children. Individual or small-group sessions use puppets, games and craft activities in ELSA rooms to help children discuss feelings and relationships.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no admissions priority, even though the nursery is run by the school. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Hull residents apply to Hull City Council; families living elsewhere apply through their home authority. The normal deadline is 15 January.

Transition support is a separate matter. For children with SEND moving within school, photographs in a booklet or video introduce staff and surroundings, alongside extra opportunities to spend time in the new environment. This prepares children for change; it does not affect the allocation of places.

Morning nursery runs from 8.30am to 11.30am. Afternoon sessions begin at noon, while children attending full days start at 8.30am and finish at 3.00pm. Those different patterns matter when fitting nursery around work and other family commitments.

For enquiries or to arrange a visit, contact the school on 01482 781002 or email admin@eastpark.horizonacademy.uk. The nursery is on Cavendish Road, Hull, HU8 0JU. Staff supervise site entrances and exits while gates are open, and access into the school is through the main office.