Leamington Community Primary School Nursery

Story worlds and early communication give Leamington’s nursery its character. Children take roles in imagined adventures, while language screening helps staff identify who needs extra support with talking and understanding. This is the nursery within Leamington Community Primary School in Norris Green, Liverpool.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 16 and 17 May 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

An immersive curriculum uses stories to give learning a purpose. Children can become fairy-tale characters or superheroes and tackle mysteries. The school aims to draw children emotionally into their learning; these imagined situations give them something to talk about and a reason to contribute.

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Leamington plans play around children’s interests, abilities and backgrounds. Exploring, experimenting and making choices are part of that approach. For children with complex needs in the specialised early years provision, planning centres on individual starting points. Communication, relationships, thinking and physical development shape the activities, so participation can take different forms for different children.

Language receives attention from the Nursery Year onwards. Every nursery child has language development checked through WellComm. Where screening identifies gaps, individual sessions with a trained practitioner use targeted activities. This connects assessment to something concrete in the child’s day.

The physical environment includes an outdoor sensory area in Nursery, intended to help children manage sensory processing needs. Across the school, classroom visual timetables make routines visible. These features give children ways to understand what happens next and support those who need help managing stimulation.

In May 2023, early years activities developed independence, persistence and the ability to manage feelings and behaviour. Children also learned to recognise emotions and consider how their actions affected other people. That puts emotional learning alongside the nursery’s focus on communication.

Chatterbug supports EYFS children with speech and language needs. A Communication and Language Specialist attends school one day per week for parts of the academic year, using screening to identify needs and subsequent assessment to check progress. The qualification and timing matter: this is specialist input during parts of the year, rather than daily therapist attendance.

For children on the SEND register, Pupil Passports set individual targets and describe additional support. Reviews happen three times a year, with parents able to contribute through an emailed link. Bsquared tracks small developmental steps for early years children significantly below age-related expectations, helping staff plan what comes next.

Family support extends beyond learning. Families can get help with sleep difficulties and routines at home through the school office or their child’s teacher. Nursery also has a disabled toilet, a practical accessibility feature for children who need it.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Every family must make a separate application to Liverpool Council, which allocates places under its admissions rules. Apply through the council’s school admissions process by the normal deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0151 284 7848 or email office@leamington.liverpool.sch.uk. Families seeking SEND advice can also contact the SENCO through the office or at SENCO@leamington.liverpool.sch.uk.