Beresford Memorial CofE First School Nursery Review

Books, new words and coached cricket give Beresford’s youngest children two distinct ways to learn: through language and through movement. Nursery provision forms part of Beresford Memorial CofE First School on Novi Lane in Leek, within The Talentum Learning Trust. It is the school’s own provision, so the useful focus for families is the early years experience rather than the achievements of older pupils.

The clearest educational emphasis is reading. In November 2023, Ofsted identified early years books and activities chosen to develop vocabulary, alongside teaching that introduces sounds and how they combine into words.

Language learning begins early here. Children encounter selected books and activities that introduce vocabulary, giving them words to use as well as sounds to recognise. Adults check which sounds children retain and provide additional help when learning slips behind. For parents, that makes the approach more specific than simply spending time with books: remembering sounds is checked, and difficulties trigger support.

Physical activity has also included A Chance to Shine, a programme delivered through a partnership with the English Cricket Board. Nursery children have participated in cricket sessions with specialist coaches. This gives the youngest group an introduction to a team sport and an opportunity to practise physical skills with adults brought in for that purpose. It is an example of nursery participation, rather than a promise about the frequency of sessions.

Curriculum continuity. In November 2023, some subjects had insufficiently developed plans for early years learning. The resulting concern was whether later teaching connected clearly with what children had already learned. This matters alongside the reading emphasis: families should weigh the specific language work against the need for clearer foundations across those subjects.

Knowing children individually was a positive feature of early years provision in November 2023. Staff took time to understand the children well, giving their earliest school experience a personal basis. For a young child, those relationships matter alongside the learning activities: adults’ understanding of the individual is part of the care they receive.

The additional reading support also has a practical care dimension. Checks on remembered sounds allow adults to respond to difficulty instead of leaving a child to continue with the same gap in understanding.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at Beresford. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate processes, and families must apply again through the normal Reception route by the applicable deadline. Choosing this nursery therefore needs to be a decision about the nursery experience itself, with the later school application treated separately.

Beresford Memorial CofE First School’s address is Novi Lane, Leek, ST13 6NR. The school telephone number is 01538714790, providing a direct contact point for nursery enquiries. Keep the Reception application separate from those nursery enquiries: a conversation about joining the nursery does not secure the next stage.