Boarshaw Community Primary School Nursery Review

Structured play, superhero learning characters and a class called Sea Turtles give Boarshaw’s nursery its own identity within the primary school. There are 26 nursery places, and the school’s age range begins at three. This is the nursery part of the school’s early years provision, with learning organised around adult guidance and children’s exploration.

Play has a teaching purpose here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines personal development, language and movement with early literacy, maths, creative work and exploration of the world. In practical terms, children count objects, experiment with making marks, talk about stories and use their senses to investigate. Learning to cooperate and make friends sits alongside those activities.

Learning combines adult-guided tasks with structured play in classroom learning areas and outside. Those areas change each week to connect with the topic and children’s interests. Children also tackle independent challenges linked to work with adults, giving them opportunities to practise something they have just learned. Super Hero themed characters are used to introduce ways of approaching learning.

Physical activity includes bikes, balancing and catching; brushes, pencils and scissors provide practice with smaller movements. Imaginative play, art and music give children other ways to express ideas. Charanga is the named music programme used across the school, including nursery. Early years history activities include growing plants, noticing seasonal changes and looking at personal photographs, making the idea of past and present concrete.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that early years staff supported language and listening effectively, with nursery stories and rhymes building readiness for reading. Children in early years also behaved positively and participated readily, so little teaching time was lost.

Tapestry connects classroom learning with home. Staff observe children during activities and play, then record learning through this online journal. Parents can view it on a computer, tablet or phone, giving them a way to follow what their child is working on.

A nursery update dated 29 October 2018 described children becoming familiar with their classroom and routines. That is a historical example of settling into the group, rather than a description of an individual settling programme.

For additional needs, the school uses Rochdale’s Inclusion Toolkit to guide both general provision and targeted SEN support. Its own support pathways cover the four broad areas of need. School meals are prepared on the premises each day; menus provide families with the meal choices.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions route and meet the deadline for their entry year. Rochdale residents apply online through the admissions portal; families outside the borough apply through their home local authority.

The listed admission criteria do not give priority for nursery attendance. They include children in local authority care, relevant exceptional medical or welfare circumstances, older siblings, service premium eligibility and proximity. Familiarity with Boarshaw therefore needs to be kept separate from the decision about a school place.

The school manages nursery applications directly. Contact the office for an application form on 0161 653 9536 or at office@boarshawprimary.co.uk. School visits can also be arranged through the office, giving families an opportunity to discuss the provision in person.

Curriculum oversight. The October 2022 inspection identified unclear learning sequences in a small number of school subjects and a need for governors to strengthen their curriculum knowledge. These were school-level concerns, relevant to oversight of provision rather than separate nursery judgements.