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Nursery at Avenue 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, conversation and time to build friendships shape Caterpillar Class, Avenue Primary School’s nursery for children aged 3 to 4. It forms part of the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with provision for 15 or 30 hours. Children attending for 15 hours come each morning or each afternoon, giving them a regular session pattern.
The emphasis extends beyond early reading and numbers. Communication, movement and learning to relate to other people are central to the curriculum, so children’s social and physical development sit alongside their first steps in literacy.
Children learn through a mixture of activities guided by adults and play they choose themselves, inside and outside. The EYFS provides the framework: language, physical skills and emotional development form the foundations, with maths, literacy, creative work and exploring the world building on them. This gives play a clear learning purpose while leaving room for children’s interests.
Talk starts early. Adults model language across EYFS activities, and children explore rhyme and rhythm as part of their developing sound awareness. Mark-making uses water and chalk, alongside work on the larger movements and finer hand skills needed for writing. The nursery’s home-learning activities include environmental sounds, body percussion and oral blending, giving families specific ways to continue that exploration together.
Technology also has a practical role in early years. Children experiment with games on tablets and computers, use iPads for photographs and videos, and begin programming BeeBots. These activities introduce sequences through something children can control. SEED supports personal, social and emotional learning through separate lessons and connections across activities.
In April 2025, Ofsted found that early-years children explored number patterns and practised addition with dice and visual aids. That gives children concrete ways to explore early maths, with objects and pictures to support their understanding.
Settling begins before the first nursery term. Once a place has been allocated, families are invited to stay-and-play sessions during the preceding academic year. These sessions offer an introduction to nursery before the child starts. The class team can be contacted directly at caterpillars@avenue.leicester.sch.uk.
Sofa Time provides nursery children with individual adult time to develop social skills. Other early-years interventions include Fun Time for speaking, listening and social development, and Playdough Gym for fine motor practice. These give support a concrete form rather than treating additional needs as a single category.
Across Avenue, concerns about development lead to a discussion with parents and an agreed plan, followed by a review after 6 weeks. Children on the SEND register have pupil passports reviewed each term with their families and teacher. School adaptations include sensory spaces, adjusted seating and bathroom facilities adapted for physical needs. This provides a basis for discussing a child’s individual requirements. If outside expertise is needed, parents are consulted before a referral and must consent to it and to information sharing. Families can also contribute their views to the referral process.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through Leicester Education Authority, with allocations handled by its Schools Admissions Team against local authority criteria. Choosing Caterpillar Class and applying for Reception are separate decisions.
For children with SEND, summer handovers share individual needs, targets and relevant documents with the next teaching team. Parents are invited to meet the new teacher, and extra transition visits can be arranged where needed. These arrangements support familiarity and continuity; they do not determine admission.
The 30-hour provision is free for eligible parents. Under the 15-hour pattern, children become eligible for one full day each week after the October half term, an important detail when planning the family’s routine.
Nursery applications go directly to Avenue. A completed form can be emailed to office@avenue.leicester.sch.uk, returned by post or completed at school. General enquiries go to the office on 0116 270 8326. If medicine needs administering during the day, parents must complete and return the school’s request form.
The nursery is for children aged 3 to 4.
Both patterns are offered. Children attending for 15 hours come in the mornings or afternoons and become eligible for one full day each week after the October half term. The 30-hour provision is free for eligible parents.
After a place is allocated, families are invited to stay-and-play sessions during the academic year before their child starts.
No. A separate application must be made through Leicester Education Authority, whose Schools Admissions Team allocates places against local authority criteria.
Sofa Time gives nursery children individual time with an adult to develop social skills. Fun Time is an early-years intervention focused on speaking, listening and social development.
