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Nursery at Chapelfield 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 mud kitchen, planting areas and a role play house give Chapelfield’s Foundation Unit a practical, exploratory character. This is nursery learning with room to get messy. Foundation One takes children from three, with the normal intake in September after their third birthday, and sits within the school’s early years provision in Radcliffe.
Ofsted graded early years provision Good at the March 2023 inspection. Nursery staff used play and stories to widen children’s vocabulary, giving everyday activities a clear language purpose.
Play provides the starting point. The 2022-2023 nursery handbook describes themes changing each half term, adapted around children’s interests, alongside short adult-led maths, phonics and storytelling sessions. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) initially emphasises talking and listening, movement, and children’s emotional and social development. Reading, number work, creative expression and understanding their surroundings build on those foundations.
Phase 1 Letters and Sounds develops listening and speaking before later phonics work. Number rhymes introduce mathematical ideas through singing. In March 2023, the early years curriculum gave communication particular attention: new vocabulary was part of nursery stories and play, rather than confined to a separate lesson.
The outside classroom adds physical and sensory experiences. Children can practise balance on climbing equipment, investigate sand and water, grow plants and use the mud kitchen. These are opportunities to move, experiment and talk about discoveries. Indoors, the EYFS computing provision includes pretend telephones and tills in role play, connecting technology with situations children recognise.
Preparation begins with contact at home. The school’s 2026-2027 SEND report describes Foundation Stage home visits before children start, allowing families to discuss medical or educational concerns early. The older nursery handbook also describes an initial period of shorter sessions. Settling is therefore something families and staff plan together.
That handbook sets out daily fruit and a carbohydrate snack, with conversation built into snack time. Full-time children could have a school lunch or bring a healthy packed lunch, keeping the same arrangement throughout a half term. It also asks families to exclude foods containing nuts. These arrangements help parents plan food consistently.
Support includes a SENCo and Family Support Officer. In March 2023, additional needs were recognised effectively in early years, and support helped children with SEND participate in the curriculum. The current SEND report describes parents viewing support and progress through a Provision Map. Parent Hub carries school and class messages; the nursery handbook describes Tapestry for sharing learning observations. The school building is on one level, with external ramps and an accessible toilet.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at Chapelfield. Families must make a separate application through Bury Local Authority’s Children’s Services Admissions team, following the normal application timetable. Familiarity with the school should not be mistaken for an allocated place.
Transition support is a separate benefit. The 2022-2023 handbook describes nursery and Reception children spending much of their day together within the Foundation Unit. For children with SEND, the school describes extra classroom visits where needed, information passed between teachers and visual materials to take home. These practices help prepare children for change; they do not determine admission.
Part-time places are the usual nursery allocation, with full-time attendance available on request. Session planning. The 2022-2023 handbook gives a morning session of 8:40am to 11:45am and a full-time day of 8:40am to 3:15pm. Those handbook arrangements distinguish a 15-hour morning entitlement from 30-hour provision for eligible families, with paid afternoon sessions also described. Use the school office for current charges.
Collection in that handbook is from the nursery classroom, and staff need notification when another authorised adult collects a child. Its clothing advice favours jogging bottoms or leggings to make toileting easier, plus a waterproof coat and wellies for outdoor activities. The current uniform page specifies blue or white polo shirts and royal blue outer layers, with logos optional.
For enquiries or a visit appointment, contact the office on 0161 723 5519 or email chapelfield@bury.gov.uk.
The normal intake is in September following a child’s third birthday.
Yes. Full-time nursery places are available on request; part-time attendance is the usual allocation.
The Foundation Unit has climbing and balancing equipment, planting areas, a sand pit, water play, a role play house and a mud kitchen.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Bury Local Authority’s Children’s Services Admissions team.
Contact the school office to book an appointment. Call 0161 723 5519 or email chapelfield@bury.gov.uk.
