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Nursery at Thurnby Mead Primary Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Daily songs, Makaton signs and Fantastic Five stories give Thurnby Mead’s nursery a clear emphasis on language. Children explore books through play as well as planned activities, so literacy reaches beyond a single story session.
The nursery forms part of Thurnby Mead Primary Academy on Dudley Avenue in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester. It takes children from age three, with both part-time and full-time places offered. For families, that combines an early start within a primary school with a choice of attendance pattern.
Play shapes the learning, indoors and outside. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together communication, emotional and social development, physical skills, literacy, maths, understanding the world and creative expression. In parent terms, children practise talking, managing feelings, moving, exploring and making things alongside their first steps with books and numbers. The school aims to build learning around children’s interests and strengths.
Fantastic Five introduces familiar stories alongside new ones. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is the phonics programme, while daily singing and rhymes include encouragement to use Makaton signs. These give children several ways to join in with language: listening to a story, repeating a rhyme or signing during a song.
White Rose Maths provides the sequence for number learning. Practical resources help children explore number patterns and relationships, with opportunities to talk about their thinking. Exploration also has a sensory side: early-years children handle soil, water, sand and play dough, compare materials and observe plants and animals. Those activities make questions about change and difference concrete. In May 2025, Ofsted found that early-years children played together cooperatively and developed enthusiasm for learning.
Fun Time is an early-years small-group intervention for social interaction and communication. Other school support includes Play Interaction, individual visual timetables and speech and language work following a child’s therapy plan. For a child who finds communication or joining peers difficult, these are specific forms of support rather than a general promise of inclusion.
Families can arrange a discussion with the SENCo through the office. The school’s entry arrangements include a summer introduction programme and a parent meeting; the SENCo also meets new families whose children have known SEND before entry. This gives parents an opportunity to discuss concerns before their child starts. Ramps provide access into the school, and accessible toilet and changing facilities are among its physical adaptations.
Milk is available for each child daily, with charges communicated by term; children entitled to Free School Meals also receive milk free. The school operates a nut-free food rule, a practical consideration for anything brought from home.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Leicester City Council’s online admissions process and meet the normal application deadline. Treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery attendance.
For children with SEND, the school’s introduction programme and pre-entry discussions offer a way to prepare for starting school. Preparation and the allocation of a place are separate matters.
The nursery morning session runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. Both part-time and full-time places are offered. The morning finish matters when planning collection and care for the rest of the day.
Contact the academy office in the year before your child turns three to begin a nursery enquiry. The telephone number is 0116 2413086. Nursery applications are often oversubscribed, so the school asks families to return them promptly.
Uniform applies throughout the school: a royal blue sweatshirt or fleece, a white shirt or polo, and grey or black trousers, skirt or pinafore. Blue striped or checked summer dresses are also an option. Label clothing with your child’s name to help keep belongings identifiable.
Both part-time and full-time places are offered. The morning session runs from 8:45am to 11:45am.
They explore Fantastic Five stories, planned book activities and phonics through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. Singing and rhymes happen daily, with children encouraged to use Makaton signs.
Fun Time provides small-group work on social interaction and communication in the early years. Parents can arrange a discussion with the SENCo through the office.
No. Families must apply separately through Leicester City Council’s online admissions process by the normal deadline.
Contact the academy office in the year before your child turns three. Call 0116 2413086.
