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Nursery at Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision)
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Five full days across a fortnight give Northwood’s nursery its distinctive rhythm. Since September 2025, the 15-hour provision has used whole days, with lunch funded by the school, making the attendance pattern a practical starting point for families considering it.
This is the nursery class within Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby. Children normally join in the term after turning three, with entry points each term. The emphasis here is on the early years day: shared stories, songs and rhymes, alongside support organised specifically for the EYFS phase.
Whole days shape the experience. Under the 15-hour arrangement, children receive 32.5 hours of nursery education across two weeks. Northwood says the longer sessions are intended to help children consolidate learning and prepare for school. Families therefore need to plan around a fortnightly pattern rather than a daily short session.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers learning and development from birth to five. In parent language, it brings together early communication, movement and social development with learning about numbers, books, creativity and the world. Those areas explain why early learning involves more than practising letters.
Stories give a concrete picture of nursery activity. In January 2025, nursery children enjoyed singing and rhyming, and the books shared with them were encouraging an interest in reading. Early years behaviour also had established routines and clear expectations, giving children a consistent framework for taking part.
Across the school, classroom expectations for SEND support include visual timetables with images at least A5 in size, uncluttered rooms and resources kept in consistent places. These are practical expectations intended to make routines and equipment easier for children to understand and use.
Lunch is part of the full-day arrangement: Northwood funds a school meal for each nursery child. That brings a meal into the nursery day and removes a lunch charge for families using this provision.
For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), there is an EYFS SENCO and SEND support assigned to the early years phase. Northwood uses a graduated process: assess a child’s needs, plan support, put it into practice and review the response. Its early-support arrangements include discussing concerns with parents and reviewing support plans after six weeks, with the plans shared with families.
Parents can also book the Thursday SEND Surgery through the school office, while termly SEND forums provide another opportunity for advice. These give families a specific route for discussing concerns alongside their child’s classroom support.
Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives admission priority. Families must make a separate Reception application through the local authority; those living outside Knowsley should use their home authority’s route.
For a September start, applications are made between September and January, with a deadline of no later than mid January. Keep this separate from nursery booking. Northwood’s intention to prepare children for school through full days is an educational aim, not an admissions advantage.
The nursery teacher agrees attendance days with families at the admissions meeting. The 15-hour model comprises five full days over two weeks, so this meeting determines the pattern families will use.
Northwood also accepts government-funded 30-hour places for qualifying parents who live locally in Northwood and intend to apply for or send their child to the school’s Reception. Speak to the office about this route.
Visits can be arranged by contacting the school for an appointment. Nursery applications use the Knowsley Council nursery form, which families can use wherever they live. For enquiries or a visit appointment, call 0151 477 8630.
Children are admitted each term, usually in the term after their third birthday.
Children attend five full days across two weeks, receiving 32.5 hours of nursery education in that period. Attendance days are agreed with the nursery teacher at the admissions meeting.
Yes. Northwood funds a school lunch for each nursery child as part of its full-day provision.
Northwood accepts children whose parents qualify for government-funded 30-hour childcare, live locally in Northwood and intend to apply for or send their child to the school’s Reception. Contact the office about this option.
No. It gives neither a guarantee nor admission priority. A separate local authority application is required, through your home authority if you live outside Knowsley, by no later than mid January for a September start.
