England Lane Academy Nursery Review

Songs, stories and purposeful talk give England Lane Academy’s nursery its character. Children join from age three, within the academy in Knottingley, and learn alongside Reception children in a shared early years setting. Language development is a clear priority.

Ofsted graded early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 9 and 10 July 2024. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The nursery session runs from 8:30 to 11:30. Regular stories, singing and nursery rhymes give children repeated opportunities to listen and develop their language. In July 2024, many children arrived with language development delays; adults helped them build the foundations for later phonics learning. The emphasis is on preparation.

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), vocabulary receives deliberate attention, including words children will encounter again as their learning develops. Staff use Delta’s curriculum takeaways, the knowledge children are expected to remember, to guide learning. Activities include both support and challenge for children learning together at different stages.

The Reading Enhanced Curriculum begins in early years. Books introduce learning and prompt questions, connecting listening with discussion and new knowledge. Beyond the nursery classroom, the academy has an outdoor Forest School area and an indoor Forest School classroom. Its Forest School programme gives children access to sessions for a half term each year across their time at the academy, led by an external Forest School teacher.

An Early Years Foundation Lead and EYFS teaching assistants form part of the team. Parent partnership also has a practical purpose: in July 2024, families’ views were actively sought, with advice to help them support learning at home. This connects nursery learning with what families can do together.

For children needing additional help, the academy’s SENDCo works with parents and the class teacher. Support can involve individual assistance, smaller teaching groups or resources and timetables tailored to the child. More complex needs bring collaboration with healthcare professionals and other outside agencies. A speech and language therapist works in school one day fortnightly, adding specialist support to the academy’s language provision.

The Thrive Approach is used across the academy to support emotional development. A dedicated Thrive room accommodates activities such as creative work and storytelling, while a sensory room provides opportunities to explore sound, touch and visual experiences. These are school facilities, rather than nursery-only spaces.

Food arrangements include a daily fruit item for Foundation Stage children. School lunches are cooked in the academy kitchen, with vegetarian choices, bread, fruit and a salad bar; children eating lunch share the dining hall. Ask the academy whether nursery children can stay for a school lunch or bring a packed lunch.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the deadline for their child’s intake. England Lane follows Wakefield local authority admissions arrangements, with applications directed to Wakefield School Admissions.

Learning alongside Reception children offers familiarity with the shared setting. That everyday continuity is separate from the allocation of a school place.

The morning session’s 11:30 finish is the key planning detail for childcare arrangements. Nursery applications are returned to the academy office with evidence of the child’s identity and date of birth, plus proof of address.

For general enquiries, contact info@elacademy.org.uk or 01977 722 486. The office operates between 8:00am and 4:00pm. Families can also contact the academy to arrange a visit, allowing them to discuss their child’s needs before joining.