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Nursery at Atherton St George's CofE 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Mud, mirrors and the Gingerbread man give Little Dragons its character: early learning built around exploration, stories and getting to know other children. The provision includes two-year-olds and forms part of Atherton St George's CofE Primary School on Derby Street in Atherton. Its curriculum includes a Lower Pre-School annual cycle, with activities spanning movement, language, number and feelings.
Ofsted graded early years provision Good at the inspection on 20 and 21 June 2023. Children in early years showed independence, eagerness to learn and an interest in tackling problems. That is a useful picture of how children approached learning at that time.
Stories give language work a concrete starting point. Children retell the Gingerbread man aloud, revisit journeys through Naughty Bus and work with Supertato through a wanted-poster activity. These give children different reasons to speak, recall events and communicate ideas, rather than treating language as a single isolated exercise.
Number learning starts with comparing quantities and using number language. Filling and emptying introduces capacity, while shape exploration and counting rhymes bring mathematical ideas into practical activity. Mirrors prompt discussion of faces and bodies; insects and nature appear in small-world play. Children also explore materials and talk about the difference between day and night.
Outside, grass, puddles and mud become things to investigate. Music includes listening to environmental sounds outdoors, experimenting with instruments and copying body-percussion actions. Physical activities move from squatting and walking to jumping, throwing and kicking. Painting, colour mixing and making vehicles from discarded materials add further ways to explore and create.
Christian teaching is part of the programme, including Bible stories and the Christmas story. In June 2023, the curriculum generally helped children in early years build on earlier learning. Across the school, however, some subjects still needed clearer decisions about the knowledge to teach; this was a school-level concern, rather than a finding confined to nursery.
Island time brings children together with their key person in focus groups. Small-group bucket time addresses taking turns, while work on expressions, preferences and emotions gives children ways to understand themselves and others. These are concrete social activities alongside the story and number work.
The school's classroom arrangements include visual timetables and a designated Safe Space for managing emotions. The Zones of Regulation is used across the school. Nursery also has a hygiene room equipped with a shower, and ramps support wheelchair access to the building. Those physical arrangements matter for children who need accessible personal care.
SEND support follows the Wigan Graduated Approach. Staff discuss concerns with parents, and children identified with additional needs receive a Pupil Passport containing targets and support strategies, reviewed at least once a term. Parents help create these passports, so information from home contributes to the support staff provide.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.
Preparation for that move includes Inspire sessions for children and parents. Transition discussions involve families, pre-school providers and the Early Learning and Child Care Team (ELCCT), helping staff consider support before the child starts. A Welcome Meeting brings families together with the leadership, inclusion and Reception teams. These activities prepare children for change; they do not secure admission.
Little Dragons uniform is optional, although recommended. It includes a white polo shirt, a Little Dragons sweatshirt and grey bottoms, with black footwear.
For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01942 883971 or email Enquiries@admin.saintgeorges.wigan.sch.uk. For concerns about additional needs, parents can also use ClassDojo to arrange a conversation with staff.
Yes. The school has provision for two-year-old children alongside its Nursery class.
Activities include exploring grass, mud and puddles, and listening to outdoor environmental sounds.
No. Uniform is optional but recommended for Little Dragons.
Parents help create Pupil Passports, which record individual targets and support. These are updated at least once a term.
No. Families need to make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process.
