St Anne's Catholic Primary School Nursery

Play-based exploration in 2020–2021 and daily phonics in October 2022 give a historical picture of the school's wider early years provision. St Anne's Catholic Primary School has nursery provision on Slater Lane in Leyland, within a Catholic primary school. It is a school-attached starting point for learning, with the wider early years provision judged Good at the Ofsted inspection of 18 and 19 October 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Children's interests shaped play-based learning in the early years in 2020–2021. Adults helped children develop their thinking through those activities, giving exploration a purpose rather than treating play as a break from learning. Indoor space and an outdoor learning area both supported this approach. The school described the environment as spacious, with room for children to explore inside and outside.

The early years foundation stage, or EYFS, is the early learning stage discussed here. In October 2022, its curriculum formed the beginning of a sequence of learning that continued through the school: knowledge introduced early gave children something to build on later. Reading had a regular place in that sequence. Children in early years began daily phonics on starting school, learning the relationship between letters and sounds.

Older pupils also acted as reading buddies for early years children in October 2022. This brought another school relationship into early reading, alongside teaching from adults.

Curriculum oversight. In October 2022, leaders still needed a clearer understanding of how successfully some subjects were helping children and pupils learn, including those with SEND. The concern was about checking the impact of teaching, so the Good early years judgement should be read alongside that specific improvement requirement.

Small routines were part of learning to belong. In October 2022, early years children were learning where to put their coats, an everyday task that helped establish expectations and independence. Care here included helping children manage ordinary school habits, alongside their learning.

During 2020–2021, the early years team included teachers and teaching assistants. Adults supported children's ideas through play, with children's interests guiding the activities. That gives a concrete picture of the adult role: helping a child develop an idea, rather than simply supplying an activity to complete.

Separate application. Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the later school application as two separate decisions.

The reading-buddy relationships described above concern children's experience within school. They should not be interpreted as an admissions advantage or a promise of a future place.

The school is on Slater Lane, Leyland, PR25 1TL. The school office can be contacted on 01772 422769. Keep the distinction between nursery attendance and Reception admission in mind when planning your child's next step; choosing the nursery does not remove the need for that later application.