Birchfield Primary School Nursery Review

Rhymes, sound games and carefully chosen books give Birchfield’s nursery a clear language focus. Teaching combines play with adult-led activities, so children have opportunities to explore their interests as well as practise skills with staff. This is the nursery class within Birchfield Primary School in Gildersome, Leeds.

Two attendance patterns divide the week around Wednesday. Each includes two longer days and one shorter session, making the pattern an important practical consideration for families planning their working week.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning. At Birchfield, children choose some activities themselves, while adults guide other tasks towards a specific skill. Learning areas extend outdoors as well as inside, giving children different settings in which to explore and practise.

Books help shape the nursery’s teaching. Staff select texts to spark children’s interest, then combine adult-led learning, conversation and play. Language therefore runs through more than a story session: interactions with adults are part of the learning approach too.

Little Wandle Foundation for Phonics gives early sound work a named structure. Its Rhyme Time strand uses nursery rhymes to develop vocabulary and awareness of word sounds. Tuning into Sounds uses games to develop children’s awareness of sounds in speech. The emphasis is on foundations for later reading.

Physical preparation for writing also features in the Foundation Stage. Each week, adults guide a small group through a writing activity; children can also try making marks in the learning areas. Dough Disco and Squiggle whilst you wiggle prepare children for holding a pencil through activities involving whole-body movement and hand control.

The nursery team includes a class teacher and a teaching assistant. Ofsted’s inspection on 24 and 25 October 2023 found that nursery children were well cared for and supported, with adults using questions skilfully to extend their language. Children also enjoyed listening to poetry, rhymes and stories, linking care and conversation with the nursery’s reading focus.

For children with additional needs, the school’s support network includes the Morley Primary Partnership. This provides access to speech and language therapy, counselling for children and family support. Parents can contact the SENDCo through the school office, giving families a clear route into that support structure.

Lunch brings a choice between food from home and a hot meal supplied by Catering Leeds. Nursery children can have school lunches and eat in the hall, where mealtimes are staggered. Birchfield prohibits nuts and foods containing nuts because children and staff have allergies. Medical dietary requests have their own form, so families have a specific route for arranging these requirements.

Attending Birchfield’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority; Leeds residents use www.leeds.gov.uk/apply. Leeds City Council is the school’s admission authority.

For the September 2026 intake, the application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past. Keep the Reception application separate from nursery attendance when planning your child’s next step.

NP1 runs on Monday and Tuesday from 08:40 to 15:00, followed by Wednesday from 08:40 to 11:15. NP2 starts with Wednesday from 12:30 to 15:00, then runs on Thursday and Friday from 08:40 to 15:00. Wednesday is the dividing point between the two groups.

For nursery enquiries, email office@birchfieldprimary.org.uk or call 0113 253 3009. School visits can be arranged by appointment. For current school-lunch charges, contact the school.