Co-op Academy Medlock Nursery Review

Teacher-led music followed by children exploring sound in their own play gives Medlock’s nursery a distinctive thread: learning starts with an adult and continues through discovery. Nursery 1 caters for children aged 2-3, while Nursery 2 serves those aged 3-4. Both belong to Co-op Academy Medlock’s Early Years provision in Manchester.

Nursery teaching sits alongside an Early Years teaching assistant team. This places the provision within the school’s wider structure, with SEND coordinators and specialist support also available across the academy. Co-op Academy Medlock has no Ofsted graded rating yet.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) shapes nursery learning. Here, that means opportunities to communicate, explore materials, understand the world and develop relationships through activities directed by adults and play chosen by children. These strands connect: a musical activity involves listening and expression, while investigating plants introduces new vocabulary alongside observation.

Music supplies the clearest picture of how learning unfolds. A group session led by a teacher introduces singing, listening, playing and performing. Children can then revisit those skills during independent play, including making music together. Early Years musical activities take place outside as well as indoors, so sound and rhyme extend beyond a single group lesson.

Science centres on Understanding the World topics each half term. Children investigate seasonal changes, animals, plants and materials through a mixture of supported exploration and their own enquiries. Creative activities similarly combine adult guidance with children’s choices, using materials and techniques to develop movement and control. Programmable toys and tablets introduce early experiments with sequence and cause and effect.

The Early Years playground has been enlarged through a makeover, giving children more space to investigate and play. Learning about people also reaches beyond the classroom: Early Years activities include visits to community spaces, places of worship and museums. Nursery has three religious education topics, connecting stories and discussion with understanding other people’s lives.

Settling begins before the first nursery day. The Early Years team visits every starting nursery child at home and completes an Ages and Stages Questionnaire with parents. This gives staff information about developmental needs before children join. For children coming from another Early Years setting, staff visit, observe and speak with the existing team.

Children receiving SEND support have a Pupil Passport with individual targets reviewed each term. Parents help develop and review it, making the plan a shared account of the child’s needs. Rodney House Outreach Support Early Years (RHOSEY) provides advice specifically for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Across the academy, Zones of Regulation aims to help children recognise feelings and develop ways to manage them.

The school building has a lift, wheelchair-accessible doors and accessible toilets. These are useful practical features for families with mobility needs. Lunch arrangements across the academy allow a school dinner or a packed lunch; packed lunches exclude sweets, chocolate bars and sugary or fizzy drinks. ClassDojo supports messages to teachers and translates communications for families who need another language.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Manchester City Council’s normal process and meet its deadline.

Transition activities serve a different purpose: children spend a morning with their next teacher, while staff share information about the incoming class. Pupil Passports and SEND information pass to the new teaching team. That preparation helps adults understand the child; it does not secure admission.

Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 children are dropped off directly at their classroom doors and collected from their classrooms. Nursery 1 afternoon sessions run from 12.30 to 3.30pm, while the general Early Years timetable gives a 3.15pm finish. Confirm your nursery group’s collection time with the academy.

For nursery enquiries, contact the academy on 0161 273 1830 or email medlock@coopacademies.co.uk. The academy’s uniform combines a navy jumper with charcoal grey or black trousers and black shoes. A uniform swap and help service operates on the lower ground floor, offering families a practical way to obtain clothing.