Holy Trinity CofE Primary School Nursery Review

Waterproof clothing featured in Ofsted’s July 2024 account of learning at Holy Trinity: children in the Nursery class learnt to get themselves ready for outdoor activities. That small detail illustrated the emphasis on independence, alongside the communication and language skills that helped children prepare to begin learning to read.

This is the nursery provision within Holy Trinity CofE Primary School in Blackley, Manchester. Ofsted’s inspection on 2 and 3 July 2024 graded the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. In July 2024, children’s learning built on an established early years curriculum, and they made good progress from their individual starting points.

Communication and language had a prominent place in early years learning at the July 2024 inspection. Inspectors found that this emphasis helped prepare children to begin learning to read. For parents, that finding makes language development a useful topic to discuss with the nursery team.

Outdoor learning also gave children a practical task to master in July 2024. Inspectors described Nursery children learning to put on waterproofs themselves, rather than simply having the preparation completed for them. That example connected participation outdoors with managing clothing, showing how an ordinary routine could become a learning opportunity.

The July 2024 findings also described work on independence and personal care within early years. Established routines helped children develop both. The inspection’s account therefore extended beyond preparation for reading to learning to manage everyday tasks. These were concrete examples of children’s development alongside progress in communication.

Personal care formed part of the early years routines described in July 2024. Staff supported children to become more independent, with the Nursery waterproof example showing what that meant in practice. Children were learning to acquire a skill themselves, with staff helping them along the way.

For a parent weighing this provision, the useful distinction is between adults completing a task and children learning how to complete it. The July 2024 evidence gives a specific example of the latter. It offers a tangible picture of how care and learning meet during the nursery day.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Developing independence or early language skills is educational preparation; it does not establish an admissions entitlement.

The nursery belongs to the school on Capstan Street, Blackley, Manchester, M9 4DU. The school’s telephone number is 01612051216.