Marfleet Primary Academy Nursery Review

Mud-kitchen recipes, construction play and a daily outdoor classroom give Marfleet’s nursery its character. This is early learning through exploration, with talking and physical development given deliberate attention. The provision belongs to Marfleet Primary Academy in Hull and includes Tiny Steps for two-year-olds alongside the nursery provision for three-year-olds. An Early Years Team supports this stage of school life.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines early learning with children’s development: communicating, moving and learning to manage feelings and relationships. In Tiny Steps, those areas lead the programme. Messy activities and outdoor exploration give younger children things to investigate through their senses, while play provides the starting point for learning.

For nursery children, an enquiry-based approach makes purposeful exploration part of the day. The construction area invites children to build; the mud kitchen brings early writing into pretend cooking. Indoors, role play and small-world activities create reasons to talk, while paint and materials children can shape allow them to practise art and design skills. Communication receives particular attention, with time for conversations between children, adults and peers.

Outside learning is part of the daily routine. The outdoor classroom provides opportunities to explore nature and practise larger movements, while both indoor and outdoor activities include making marks and developing the hand control needed for writing. Early number and phonics are introduced through activities involving several senses, connecting initial literacy and mathematics with practical experiences.

At the March 2022 inspection, mathematics support worked well for early-years children with SEND. Most children approached mathematics with enjoyment and confidence in their number knowledge. Teaching paired an ordered progression in number learning with encouragement to talk through their thinking. These findings concern early years within the school, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

Tiny Steps puts relationships first. The school aims to help children feel secure during their first experiences away from family and works with parents on that transition. This makes settling a shared process, with readiness to explore following the development of trust.

Support for additional needs sits within the school’s Barriers to Success approach. The team checks children’s needs weekly, and parents should raise concerns with the class teacher first. Parents participate in planning and reviewing SEND support, giving them a route to discuss both difficulties and agreed next steps. Possible support includes sensory boxes, calm areas and visual prompts such as Now and Next, selected according to individual needs.

Behaviour expectations extend from nursery through the school. Zones of Regulation provides a framework for recognising emotions, while restorative practice aims to help children understand conflict and its effects on others. For children staying all day, families can choose a purchased lunch or send a packed lunch.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Marfleet. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority; Hull residents apply online through Hull’s admissions service. For entry in September 2027, the application deadline is 15 January 2027. Treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery sessions.

Transition support and admissions serve different purposes. For children with SEND, the school manages the move from nursery to Foundation and may use social stories or photographic transition booklets to help children prepare for unfamiliar people and spaces. That preparation does not secure admission.

Morning nursery sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am, Monday to Friday; afternoon sessions run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-day attendance is also accommodated. Session requests. The school cannot guarantee every requested pattern, so families need an agreed arrangement before organising their week around it.

For three-year-olds, 15 funded hours per week begin in the term after their third birthday, with starts in September, January and April. The school also accepts the government’s 30-hour code for up to 15 additional funded hours. Eligibility and the code matter to that additional provision.

Collect a nursery application form from the school office. School tours can be arranged by calling 01482 781943 or emailing admin.mar@ebor.academy. Contact the school for current lunch charges.