St James Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Daily outdoor play and a Catholic approach to early learning give St James’ nursery its character. For three and four year olds, this is nursery provision within St James Catholic Primary School in Hattersley, Hyde. Its learning combines activities guided by adults with children’s own choices, giving them room to pursue an interest as well as join a planned task.

Play does much of the teaching here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together seven connected areas of learning, with three prime areas given particular emphasis. Children explore, test ideas and persist when something proves difficult. Where possible, adults use children’s interests to shape learning, alongside planned activities.

Development Matters, Read Write Inc and White Rose Maths are among the resources used, alongside WELLCOMM and The Way, The Truth, The Life. Planned activities sit alongside play chosen by children. The Catholic mission also shapes the school’s approach to relationships, behaviour and learning.

The outdoor learning area is accessible throughout sessions, every day and across the year, with adults supervising and interacting with children. That makes outdoor exploration part of the ordinary nursery routine. Music brings opportunities to sing, listen and try percussion instruments, both tuned and untuned. Nursery PE sessions take place on Tuesdays and Fridays with a sports coach, adding organised physical activity to the week.

Mini Mash gives nursery children activities linked to early learning goals and introduces them to computing through topics suited to younger learners. Teachers also watch children as they work and play, then use those observations to decide what to introduce next. Paper learning journeys hold independent work and focused activities; Evidence Me captures observations and subsequent learning steps.

Parents can contribute achievements from home for celebration in school. This gives families a way to share what their child can do beyond the nursery session, while staff observations help shape the next stage of learning.

For additional needs, the school has SEND coordinators and a support team that includes pastoral, specialist support and speech and language roles. Its support covers communication, learning, emotional wellbeing and sensory or physical needs. Staff use personalised programmes and work with outside agencies where needed. Parents are asked to share known SEND when their child joins, allowing support to begin promptly; concerns raised by school initially come through the class teacher or SEND coordinators.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline.

Nursery and Reception staff work together to maintain consistency across the Foundation Stage. That connection concerns children’s learning and experience; it should be kept separate from the question of securing a school place.

The nursery morning runs from 9am to noon each day. St James also offers funded nursery places of 15 and 30 hours for three and four year olds.

Session planning. The morning timetable ends at noon. Families organising work and childcare should plan around the hours agreed for their nursery place.

The school entrance is on Cheriton Close in Hattersley, Hyde. Nursery enquiries can go to the school office on 0161 368 3455 or by email to admin@st-james-hyde.tameside.sch.uk. The school welcomes families to look around, giving parents an opportunity to consider the setting before choosing it.