Marriott Primary School Nursery Review

Listening comes before reading at Marriott: nursery children practise recognising different sounds, building the foundations for later phonics. Foundation Stage 1 is the school's nursery provision, based within Marriott Primary School on Broughton Road in Leicester. Its morning session gives families a clear daily rhythm.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 10 and 11 May 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Play, stories and topic work shape the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early literacy and maths with movement, communication, relationships, creativity and discovering how the world works. For parents, this means learning extends beyond letters and numbers to how children express themselves, manage feelings and explore.

Themes and stories organise the weekly planning, with vocabulary development a central purpose. White Rose Maths supports children's first understanding of number, while ALS is the named phonics programme across early years. Nursery sound work is an important starting point: in May 2022, staff developed children's language and communication effectively, and nursery children learned to distinguish sounds in preparation for later reading.

Indoor learning and outdoor experiences both form part of the play-based approach. The school aims to encourage children to investigate, make discoveries and become more independent through that balance. Its early years curriculum also takes account of experiences children bring from home and previous preschool settings, connecting new learning with what they already know.

Encouragement has a visible structure. Early years uses a weather-themed behaviour scale, moving from rain cloud through cloud, sunshine and rainbow to pot of gold. Praise, stickers and certificates mark positive behaviour, giving young children concrete signs of recognition rather than relying solely on verbal instructions.

Families can use ClassDojo to contact their child's teacher, and to access further curriculum information. For safeguarding concerns, the school's pastoral team offers a point of contact. A designated safeguarding lead is available at school and identifiable by a red lanyard, making the responsible adult easier to recognise.

Food allergies should be raised with the office and supported by medical documentation so that an appropriate menu can be planned. This is a practical step for families managing dietary needs before their child eats school food.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the normal deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as separate decisions, even though the nursery belongs to the same school.

Morning hours. Foundation Stage 1 runs from 8.35am to 11.45am. Those are the nursery hours to plan around for collection and any care needed later in the day.

School visits are arranged by appointment through the office, allowing families to meet staff and tour the school. Nursery enquiries can go to 0116 2832433 or admin@marriott.leicester.sch.uk.

Uniform combines white shirts or polo shirts with royal blue knitwear or sweatshirts and black or grey trousers, shorts or skirts. Foundation stage footwear should have Velcro fastenings. Label clothing clearly, especially coats, so belongings can be identified.