Co-op Academy Broadhurst Nursery

Children’s questions and interests shape the early years curriculum at Co-op Academy Broadhurst. Play, language development and first-hand experiences give this school nursery its character, with home visits and stay-and-play sessions connecting families to the team before children begin.

The nursery belongs to the primary academy on Williams Road in Moston, Manchester. Its staffing structure includes a nursery teacher and an early years manager. For parents choosing a school nursery, the useful distinction here is between becoming familiar with school life and securing a later school place: those are separate matters.

Play drives the learning. The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage, combining learning and development requirements with enquiries shaped by children’s interests. In parent terms, children’s fascinations help determine how learning unfolds, rather than being treated as an extra alongside it. Broadhurst aims to develop persistence and independence through these experiences.

The approach Inspiring learning, growing together gives children words for discussing how they learn. Effort, independence and determination feature alongside being positive, accepting challenges and taking risks. The intention is to help children recognise the process of learning as well as the activity itself.

Role play has a specific purpose too. The early years activity Job roles and gender introduces different kinds of work and aims to show that any job can be for anyone. It gives imaginative play a practical connection to the wider world.

Language support includes WellComm, a toolkit that screens speech and language development and provides activities matched to potential difficulties. Its traffic-light system indicates whether to consider specialist referral, provide additional intervention or offer no intervention. That creates a route from identifying a difficulty to deciding what support to offer.

Settling begins with contact between home and the early years team. Home visits, play sessions with families and transition visits help staff build relationships with children and their previous settings. For every nursery starter, the home visit includes an Ages and Stages Questionnaire completed with parents, allowing the team to prepare for additional needs before the child starts.

Support for special educational needs and disabilities involves parents in planning and reviewing provision. Children on the SEND register have a Pupil Passport with individual targets reviewed each term. Families contribute to those plans and discuss progress with the team, so support has a clear cycle of planning and review.

Rodney House Outreach Support Early Years (RHOSEY) provides advice for the early years provision. The school environment also includes wide corridors, accessible toilets and parking bays for disabled users across two single-level buildings. These are practical features for families considering physical access.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal Reception admissions process and meet its deadline. Familiarity with the academy should therefore be considered separately from the allocation of a place.

Transition includes a morning spent with the next teacher. Staff discuss incoming children during summer pupil-progress meetings and share Pupil Passports and SEND information. This gives the receiving team information about children’s needs alongside the opportunity to meet them.

The nursery application asks families to choose a preference of 15 or 30 hours, provide contact details and identify any additional needs or previous setting. The academy then contacts the family. This is an hours preference at application, rather than a confirmed daily timetable.

Applications use the nursery application form. For general contact, the academy can be reached on 0161 681 4288 or at admin.broadhurst@coopacademies.co.uk.