Christ The King Nursery Review

Retelling Supertato! with pictures gives a concrete flavour of nursery learning here: children put story events in order, then use those images to tell the tale themselves. Talking and making sense of a story come together in one activity.

The nursery belongs to Christ The King Catholic and Church of England Primary School on Fir Grove in Macclesfield. Its class is Robins, which combines nursery and Reception children. The school describes its Christian identity through both Anglican and Catholic traditions, so faith forms part of the setting families are choosing.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 23 and 24 April 2025. That judgement covers the school's early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Stories give nursery children something specific to discuss and organise. In a summer superheroes topic, the nursery's work with Supertato! involved arranging pictures of important events and recounting the story. This is a useful distinction within the combined class: the nursery activity centres on oral storytelling and sequence.

Across Robins, early years learning includes exploring the world, creative work and communication. The superheroes topic extended to people who help in the community. Painting, role play and movement to music were also part of the class activities, with sharing materials and developing language built into the creative work. These examples show how learning can cross between conversation, imagination and making things.

Past Robins activities have taken that exploration outdoors. Children searched for minibeasts using identification sheets and magnifiers, discovering frogspawn in the school pond and insects in a bug hotel. Back in the classroom, potato printing produced ladybird pictures. The pond and bug hotel give this learning physical reference points: children can investigate living things, then represent what they have explored through art.

Emotions have been an explicit nursery reading theme, including feeling lonely, being frightened, excitement, sadness and happiness. That gives children language for feelings as well as stories to share. In April 2025, children in early years behaved well, worked together and showed consideration towards their classmates.

Parents receive photographs and messages each week through Class Dojo. Families can also speak to the Robins team at the door, send an email or use Dojo to make contact, giving them several ways to discuss their child's experience.

For additional needs, the school uses the Cheshire East SEND Toolkit to identify needs. Its special educational needs coordinator can be reached through the office or by email. This gives families a direct contact for discussing support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. The Reception enquiry route is Cheshire East Council, on 0300 123 5012.

Sharing the Robins class is an organisational arrangement. It should not be treated as securing admission to Reception.

Nursery enquiries can go to the school office on 01625 466833 or admin@christtheking.cheshire.sch.uk. School visits can be arranged by appointment through the office.

Robins has PE on Tuesdays. Its kit includes a plain white T-shirt, black shorts, plain black leggings or joggers, and trainers or pumps. Clothing should carry the child's name, which helps with changing for the session.