Lift Cottingley Nursery

Child-led play and a snack table children can use throughout the day give Lift Cottingley’s nursery a practical focus on independence. Adult-guided learning sits alongside opportunities for children to explore for themselves. The emphasis is on learning through doing.

Cherry is the nursery class within the school’s early years provision, which caters for children aged 2 to 5. Its teacher also holds the school’s SEND coordinator role, bringing nursery teaching and coordination of additional needs together. Lift Cottingley is on Dulverton Grove in Leeds.

Play shapes the learning here. Children choose activities themselves, while adults organise topic-based work for the whole class, small groups and individual children. Free-flow play and these guided activities give children different ways to explore a subject, with both independent choices and adult attention built into the approach.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework, alongside Development Matters guidance. In parent terms, this means building confidence with other people, learning to express ideas and developing physical skills, as well as beginning to explore reading, writing and numbers. Creative work includes music, art and imaginative play; learning about the world brings in the environment, technology and cultures. Numbers, patterns and shapes form part of mathematics.

Communication has a clear place in the early years approach. The school aims to expand children’s vocabulary and communication skills through its learning experiences. That gives parents a useful picture of the nursery’s priorities: talking, understanding and expressing themselves are part of children’s learning, alongside early literacy and mathematics.

Settling is approached as a partnership with parents. The nursery team works with families to help children become comfortable in their new surroundings, and regular communication supports conversations about their needs and progress. Parents’ knowledge of their child is part of that relationship.

Food is woven into the day rather than confined to lunch. The snack table offers fruit, crackers, water and milk throughout the day. For children attending full time, lunch can be brought from home or prepared on site from a seasonal menu. These are distinct arrangements: the lunch choice applies to full-time children.

Practical care includes keeping replacement clothes on each child’s peg. For security, entrances and gates are kept secured during the day, children are supervised during learning and play, and dismissal has two staff members present. Staff receive safeguarding training. These are concrete routines for families to understand before starting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the normal deadline. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.

Preparation for the next stage includes advice on practising dressing, using cutlery independently and taking turns in games. Singing nursery rhymes and counting everyday objects are also encouraged. These activities give families straightforward ways to practise communication and independence at home; they do not confer an admissions advantage.

Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions are offered. The morning session runs from 08:30 to 11:30, so families choosing that pattern have a clear collection time to plan around. The nursery accepts 15-hour and 30-hour government funding, with additional paid sessions offered where needed. Contact the school office for availability and current charges.

Uniform is encouraged for nursery children. Comfortable clothes and footwear children can manage themselves support the emphasis on independence, and plain black or grey jogging bottoms are permitted for nursery pupils. Label clothing clearly.

For enquiries, call 0113 2709503 or email contactus@liftcottingley.org. The school office opens at 8am and closes at 4:15pm.