The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Nursery at St Theresa's 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Loose parts, household objects and natural materials give this nursery its character. St Theresa's combines the Curiosity Approach with Hygge, putting children's exploration alongside slower routines and an emphasis on relationships. It is the school's own nursery in Cross Gates, Leeds, for children aged three to four, within its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
The nursery admissions page gives a nominal capacity of 104 places. That is a capacity figure, rather than a promise of availability for a particular attendance pattern.
Children's choices shape the play here. Under the Curiosity Approach, everyday objects and materials that can be used in different ways replace an emphasis on ready-made toys and technology. Children investigate, try ideas, solve problems and decide what to do next. The practical implication is clear: an object can become part of a child's own experiment, rather than dictate a single activity.
Hygge adds a different emphasis to the same day. Routines slow down, spaces are kept less cluttered, and nature and relationships receive attention. These approaches sit alongside the EYFS, the early years curriculum followed by the nursery. For parents, the combination means learning through exploration, with care routines and children's wellbeing also shaping the experience.
There is a nursery classroom and a Nursery Play Area, both included in the school's virtual tour. Ofsted's June 2022 findings give a concrete example from the wider early years provision: children grew herbs together and learned their names, linking practical activity with vocabulary. The example shows how learning can involve both cooperation and language, rather than treating them as separate tasks.
Settling comes first. The nursery makes helping children become comfortable its initial responsibility, followed by continuing care as they prepare for their next school stage. Its approach treats home and nursery as partners, making that relationship part of the care children receive.
Lunch can be a hot school meal or a packed lunch. Cooked food is prepared on site, with choices organised over a three-week menu cycle and meals selected through School Grid. Nursery meals carry a charge unless a child qualifies for free school meals. Families can apply through the school office and should obtain current charges from the school.
Support also draws on the school's inclusion provision. A sensory room and sensory circuits address movement and sensory needs, while Zones of Regulation helps children understand emotions. A Speech and Language Therapist provides support one day a week. These are school resources; families seeking nursery support have a direct enquiry route to the SENCo through the school switchboard.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the local authority, following the timetable for their child's entry year.
For September 2026 entry, the school's admissions page explicitly said nursery attendance had no influence on allocation. That cycle had a closing date of 15 January 2026 and has passed. The route was the local authority application, using Leeds City Council's application service for Leeds families, plus a Supplementary Information Form sent to school for consideration under faith criteria. Nursery membership should therefore never be treated as a substitute for the Reception application.
The 15-hour offer is organised into two attendance patterns: Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 3.30pm, with Wednesday, 9am to noon; or Wednesday, 12.30pm to 3.30pm, followed by Thursday and Friday, 9am to 3.30pm. Separate morning-only and afternoon-only patterns have been withdrawn. The school describes funded provision as normally beginning in the term following a child's third birthday.
Eligible families can seek 30-hour provision, but entitlement does not guarantee a place: numbers and staffing ratios affect availability. Charged wraparound care extends the nursery day from 7.30am to 9am and from 3.30pm to 6pm. Specialist early years practitioners care for the youngest children separately from older pupils, using nursery or Reception classrooms. Wraparound drop-off and collection use the main entrance.
For nursery applications or wraparound enquiries, call 0113 293 0240, option 3, to reach the office. Nursery application forms can be collected from the school's reception desk.
The nursery provision is for children aged three to four. The school describes the 15-hour funded offer as normally starting in the term after a child's third birthday.
The EYFS curriculum is influenced by the Curiosity Approach and Hygge, combining exploration with everyday materials, child-led play and slower care routines.
Yes. Nursery children can have a hot school meal or bring a packed lunch. Meals are charged unless the child qualifies for free school meals; contact the school for current charges.
Yes. The nursery admissions page gives hours of 7.30am to 9am and 3.30pm to 6pm. This is a charged service with specialist early years practitioners.
No. A separate local authority application is required. For September 2026 entry, the school's admissions page expressly said nursery attendance did not influence allocation.
