Medway Community Primary School Nursery

Speaking, listening, numbers and early reading give Medway’s nursery its educational focus. This is the nursery within Medway Community Primary School in Highfields, Leicester, rather than a separate childcare setting. In October 2022, it catered for three-year-old children. For parents, the useful distinction is between choosing this first experience of school and securing a later Reception place: those are separate decisions.

Language has a clear place in the early years curriculum. In October 2022, children received support with listening and speaking alongside number knowledge and phonics, the sounds used in reading. These foundations matter together: children need ways to express themselves as well as the beginnings of literacy and mathematics.

Ofsted’s inspection on 11 and 12 October 2022 found that early years learning was carefully organised and developed children’s knowledge across several areas. The emphasis was broader than reading alone. For a parent considering the nursery, communication and number learning deserve attention alongside the first steps towards recognising sounds.

Across early years, phonics teaching included checks on which sounds children remembered, with additional help for pupils falling behind. There was also a caution about early reading across the school: some younger pupils received books beyond their reading ability, making fluency harder to develop. That finding concerns younger pupils generally; it should not be treated as a finding about every nursery child.

Warm, trusting connections between adults and children were an early years strength in October 2022. Those relationships matter for young children learning to communicate with adults and take part in school life.

For children with additional needs, the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator also holds a co-deputy head role. The school’s support links include the Early Years Support Team and services for speech and language, hearing and visual impairment. This gives families several relevant routes for discussing needs that affect communication or access to learning.

Parents can telephone on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to speak with the coordinator, or use the Special Needs Contact Form. The form asks families to keep personal information out of the message field.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Leicester City Council’s school admissions process. Only the council can confirm a school place, regardless of nursery attendance or whether a child lives within the school’s priority area. Keep that application separate from nursery registration.

To register interest in a nursery place, email office@medway.leicester.sch.uk. School visits can be arranged by appointment, giving families a direct way to explore the provision before deciding. The school can also be reached on 01162544811.