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Nursery at Shakespeare Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Goats to feed, ponies to brush and toys children choose for themselves: learning here combines practical encounters with growing independence. Shakespeare Primary School’s nursery on Lincoln Road, Leeds, has provision for children aged two to three and three to four. It sits within the school’s early years provision, with a nursery teaching lead and a room leader for the younger group.
Child-chosen play sits alongside activities guided by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach here includes learning to communicate, manage feelings, explore number and develop physical skills. For the older nursery children, choosing classroom toys and materials independently is an explicit curriculum goal. Group activities and helping to keep the room tidy introduce the responsibilities of learning together.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised provides the nursery’s foundations for phonics. Poems, stories and action rhymes sit alongside listening activities and games that combine spoken sounds into words. The emphasis is on language and attention, giving children practice in the skills they need before formal reading develops.
Maths uses White Rose Education resources adapted for the children, with number, measurement, shape and spatial ideas revisited over time. Practical group work follows adult modelling, while maths areas let children explore ideas during play. In April and May 2024, nursery children stacked objects and used songs to practise numbers to five; riding bikes developed balance and movement. These are concrete ways to connect ideas with actions.
Living things also give projects their substance. The Wiggle, Hatch, Crawl caterpillar experience introduced butterfly development. In the Down on the Farm project, reported in March 2026, Nursery Hive children fed goats and groomed ponies during a farm-animal visit. Handling those tasks gave new vocabulary a clear meaning: children could talk about animals they had helped care for.
A relationship with a key person is part of the nursery’s personal and social learning plan. For younger children, the focus includes accepting comfort from that adult; for the older group, building that relationship accompanies settling into unfamiliar surroundings. Turn-taking, expressing feelings and responding to other children’s emotions are also planned learning. Settling therefore has a social and emotional focus alongside becoming familiar with the classroom.
Families can arrange a discussion with their child’s teacher about progress or concerns. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school’s inclusion arrangements include working with other settings and external agencies before entry, including preparing equipment and resources. Appointments with the inclusion team are arranged through the office.
The school’s meal arrangements use Catering Leeds, with hot food cooked on site from fresh ingredients and a packed-lunch alternative. Families choosing between these options must give the office notice before changing: alternating between them is not permitted. That makes lunch a decision to plan ahead. Label lunch containers and drinking bottles with your child’s name.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Shakespeare Primary School. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline. Leeds City Council allocates places at the school. Treat that application as a separate task from nursery registration; becoming familiar with the school does not secure admission.
Morning sessions run from 8.30am to 11.30am, afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. These nursery and under-three times can vary, so confirm the agreed session with the early years team before planning collection or work commitments.
Eligible families can access funded places from the term following their child’s second birthday. Entry to the older nursery group is from the term after the third birthday, subject to a vacancy. Registration forms come from the school office, and the early years team contacts families when a place becomes available. Enquiries can go to 0113 535 1000 or office@shakespeareleeds.org.uk.
There are groups for children aged two to three and three to four. Entry conditions include eligibility for the funded younger places and vacancies for the older group.
The timetable gives mornings of 8.30am to 11.30am, afternoons of 12.30pm to 3.30pm and full days of 9am to 3pm. Times may vary, so confirm them with the early years team.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised supports nursery foundations through stories, poems, rhymes, focused listening and combining spoken sounds.
Obtain a registration form from the school office. The early years team will contact you about availability; call 0113 535 1000 for enquiries.
No. Reception requires a separate application, and Leeds City Council allocates places at Shakespeare Primary School.
