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Nursery at St Francis of Assisi Catholic 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Dough disco, outdoor play and stories give this teacher-led nursery its own character within St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School in Beeston, Leeds. Children can start from their third birthday, subject to available places and physical and emotional readiness, including being fully potty-trained and out of nappies during the day. That readiness condition matters when planning a start.
The Catholic character reaches into the session itself, through religious education, virtues and collective worship. Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at its inspection on 1 and 2 October 2024. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.
Play provides the starting point for learning. Development Matters guides planning across seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with children's interests helping shape activities. In parent terms, learning happens through talking, moving, making and exploring, alongside introductions to numbers and the sounds in words.
Sessions alternate between short group activities and longer stretches in learning areas. Dough disco starts most days; Friday brings Just dance Fridays instead. Snack and chat punctuates the play, while stories, songs and worship close the session. Maths, music and phonics have their own slots, giving children repeated opportunities to join in with a group as well as explore resources.
The outdoor space has concrete things to do. During spring 2024, children used a mud kitchen, tried monkey bars and explored a music wall with pots and pans. A pulley in the sand area required children to work together. They also watched caterpillars through magnifiers and followed the growth of bean seeds: small, visible changes supplied reasons to look closely and talk.
Language has deliberate adult support. In October 2024, activity stations carried prompts explaining the learning purpose and vocabulary, helping staff extend children's conversations. A playground hole linked to The Something encouraged children to imagine what might be underneath. Stories became a starting point for questions and predictions.
The nursery aims to help children settle into school life through partnership with parents. Each child has a personal Tapestry journal, which families can view securely and contribute to with comments and photographs. This gives parents a way to share learning from home as well as follow nursery experiences. In autumn 2023, Stay and Play sessions brought parents into indoor and outdoor activities with their children, finishing with songs together.
Food has a practical arrangement: children staying over lunchtime, 11.30am to 12.30pm, need a packed lunch supplied by their parents. Both session timetables include snack and chat, making eating and conversation part of the routine.
For additional needs, the school's team includes a SEND Support Officer and Family Welfare Officer, alongside support assistants. The school adapts work and timetables for children who need this and purchases extra NHS speech and language therapist time for children's support and staff training. Parents can discuss learning, development or emotional needs with the class teacher, providing a direct starting point for support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local authority route and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. For Leeds residents, the application route is leeds.gov.uk/apply. Treat that application as a separate task when planning the next stage.
Preparation for the move also happens through nursery learning. In March 2024, children due to move into Reception that September practised writing their names several times a week. This was preparation for learning, not an admissions advantage.
The choices are 15 hours across weekday mornings or afternoons, or 30 hours from Monday to Friday with a Government code. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; the nursery's session options give afternoons as 12.30pm to 3.30pm. These patterns let families choose between shorter sessions and full-time attendance.
For an application form, visit the school office or call 0113 270 0978 and request a callback from a nursery teacher. School visits can also be booked through the office, giving families an opportunity to meet the setting before applying.
From their third birthday, subject to available places and physical and emotional readiness, including being fully potty-trained and out of nappies during the day.
There are weekday morning or afternoon options of 15 hours, plus a Monday-to-Friday 30-hour option with a Government code. Morning sessions are 8.45am to 11.45am; the nursery's session options give afternoons as 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal local authority route by the deadline for the relevant entry year.
Parents must provide a packed lunch if their child stays over lunchtime, 11.30am to 12.30pm.
Each child has a secure Tapestry journal. Parents can view it on a phone, tablet or laptop and add photographs and comments.
