Holly Nursery at Lydiate Primary School

Play, conversation and children's own interests shape the learning at Holly Nursery, Lydiate Primary School's nursery class on Lambshear Lane. Its place within the school's early years provision gives it a classroom identity of its own, with learning planned across seven areas of development. The emphasis is on children taking part: choosing, talking, experimenting and spending time learning with adults.

Families can arrange a nursery visit with their child. An annual Early Years Open Event also gives prospective parents a way to meet the provision before applying.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines activities children choose themselves with tasks guided by adults, alongside teaching in small groups or as a class. In parent terms, play and teaching share the day. Children have opportunities to explore an idea independently, talk it through with other children and receive help from a practitioner.

Children's interests help determine the planning. Adults use questions, observation and conversation to develop learning and assess progress. That makes the exchanges during an activity part of the teaching itself. Seven learning areas guide the curriculum, bringing together language, relationships and emotions, movement, literacy and number skills, exploration of the world and creative expression. For parents, that means learning includes how children talk, relate to others, move, read, explore numbers, understand their surroundings and create.

Listening has a specific place here. At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found nursery children listening attentively to sounds around them and accurately reproducing sound patterns. This gives parents a concrete picture of early literacy work: attention to what children hear.

Practical experiences feature too. An early years news item describes waiting for eggs to hatch and chicks becoming ready to handle. It is an example of children encountering living things directly, with an unfolding event to observe rather than only a picture to discuss.

Settling starts with familiar subjects. The nursery's autumn gallery groups its opening two weeks around settling and All About Me, followed by a family theme. These topics give children something personal to bring into conversations as they get to know the class.

In June 2024, children across the early years settled confidently, understood behaviour expectations and changed activities smoothly. Special educational needs and disabilities were also frequently recognised during early years, making this stage an important point for identifying support needs.

For communication, the school operates an open door approach for parents, with staff making time where possible. Its wider pastoral provision includes the Blossom Room, a quiet place for conversation, and Blossom Corner, a space for reflection. These are school facilities rather than features described as belonging to Holly Nursery.

Attending Holly Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. The school's admissions page directs parents to Sefton's admissions information and asks them to contact the school so their child's details can be recorded. Keep that contact separate from the application itself.

Holly Nursery's opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm. Session combinations are arranged through discussion with the nursery teacher and depend on spaces, so the opening hours should not be treated as a single compulsory booking pattern.

For nursery applications and visits, contact the office on 0151 526 2657 or admin.lydiate@schools.sefton.gov.uk. The nursery team can arrange a viewing with your child.

Wraparound care. The school's Fun4kidz provision is for Reception to Year 6. Families choosing nursery should plan their childcare around that age restriction.