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Nursery at Ivy Bank Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A woodland walkway, daily movement for early writing and books to borrow give Ivy Bank Nursery its own character within Ivy Bank Primary School in Macclesfield. Children join in the academic year in which they turn four, and must already be three before admission. This is the nursery stage of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), before the move to Reception.
Qualified early years staff lead the provision. For children aged three and above, staffing is at least one adult per thirteen children. Activities respond to children's interests and development, with independence and learning alongside other children among the nursery's aims.
Play provides the starting point. Adults join children in their activities, ask questions and help develop their ideas; observations then inform what they learn next. The EYFS approach brings learning through exploration together with adult teaching. Development Matters guides the planning, while the nursery encourages children to investigate, persist with challenges and try out their own solutions.
Early reading begins with listening. Once children have settled and are ready, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised introduces work on sounds: rhyme, percussion and recognising the first sound in a word are among the activities. Stories feature daily, and children can borrow from the class library to share books at home. That connects nursery reading with family time.
Writing preparation is physical as well as practical. Daily Squiggle Whilst You Wriggle sessions use movement and mark-making, alongside threading, tweezers and playdough activities to exercise small hand muscles. Children practise making marks independently, then work towards forming letters from their names when ready.
Counting objects, sorting games and songs introduce mathematics. Children move from saying numbers aloud to counting small groups one object at a time. They also compare groups and match numerals to quantities, giving them different ways to explore how numbers work. The nursery aims for a secure understanding of numbers to five by the end of the nursery year, linking written numerals with quantities rather than relying only on reciting numbers.
Outdoor learning happens daily. Children have an outdoor area and access to the school's woodland walkway, giving exploration a physical setting beyond the classroom. Weather-appropriate clothing and a spare outfit support outdoor activity and messy play.
Communication combines weekly nursery updates by email with parent meetings, progress reports each term and an open-door approach across early years. Families have several ways to follow learning and raise questions.
The SENDCo also leads EYFS, connecting early years with the school's support structure. Parents can contact the SEND team at sendco@ivybank.cheshire.sch.uk. In April 2023, Ofsted found that nursery staff developed children's communication and language effectively, and that additional needs were recognised promptly from early years. Curriculum sequencing remained an improvement area in a small number of subjects, within learning planned from nursery onwards.
School lunch arrangements use a rotating menu over three weeks. Families order through Arbor, with changes possible until the preceding day. Allergies require parents to complete a Special Diet Request Form and return it to Mellors, providing a formal route for dietary requirements.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Ivy Bank. Parents must make a separate online application through Cheshire East Local Authority, which handles Reception admissions even for children already attending the nursery. The school gives the general application timing as before mid January for a September start. Keep this application separate from nursery enrolment.
Full-time nursery places are offered. Nursery applications go directly through the school office using a Nursery Admission Form. Contact admin@ivybank.cheshire.sch.uk or call 01625 448014; school visits can also be booked through the office.
For daily activities, pack wellies and clothing suited to the weather, including sun protection when needed. A change of clothes is useful for messy play. These are practical preparations for a nursery that goes outdoors every day.
Children can start in the academic year in which they turn four, but must have reached their third birthday before admission.
They go outdoors daily and have access to an outdoor area and a woodland walkway within the school.
Children hear stories daily, explore sounds through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised when settled and ready, and practise movement and mark-making through Squiggle Whilst You Wriggle.
Weekly nursery updates are emailed. Early years communication also includes parent meetings, termly progress reports and an open-door approach.
No. Parents must apply separately online through Cheshire East Local Authority, including when their child already attends Ivy Bank Nursery.
