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Nursery at Manchester Road Primary Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Coats, snacks and learning to try things independently give Manchester Road’s nursery a practical character. This is the school’s own provision for three-year-olds in Droylsden, with full-time places and a part-time morning option. It sits within the early years foundation stage (EYFS), the phase of education concerned with young children’s learning and development.
In November 2024, Ofsted found that nursery children were becoming more independent through everyday tasks such as managing their coats and snack routines. Small tasks count here: learning to organise oneself forms part of the nursery experience alongside classroom activities.
Language and early writing have named approaches. Nursery children take part in daily Read Write Inc. sessions, while the early years writing approach uses The Write Stuff. Children explore vocabulary through speaking activities before drawing or making marks linked to a shared text. This gives those first marks a purpose: children explain what their work means rather than simply practise shapes.
Play also provides opportunities to return to learning. Early years activities include dough disco and finger gym, with outdoor movement activities supporting larger movements. These address the physical preparation for writing as well as the marks themselves. A writing wall displays children’s work, giving their attempts a place in the classroom.
Understanding the world includes early science. Children explore materials, life cycles and keeping healthy through a mixture of activities led by adults and children. In plain parent language, the EYFS day brings together communication, movement and personal development with opportunities to investigate and create. In November 2024, early years staff understood when to offer help and when children could attempt a task independently.
Preparation for children with additional needs can begin before induction. The early years team uses home visits and, where necessary, meetings with agencies to plan adjustments in advance. Personalised targets take account of goals at home, so support connects with family life rather than stopping at the classroom door.
For children receiving SEN support, the key person or worker carries out daily work with support from the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Parents help agree the intended outcomes and a review date. Zones of Regulation is taught from EYFS onwards, and classrooms have a regulation station to help children practise managing their emotions.
Food arrangements include snacks and dinners for children with 30-hour funded places. These are charged separately, with snack charges collected termly. Families should ask the school for current charges when agreeing their attendance pattern.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate online application through the normal council admissions route. Tameside and Manchester councils issue application dates in November; the initial closing date is usually in January. Follow the dates for your child’s entry year, since a late application can leave fewer places to choose from.
Transition support is a separate matter. Children with SEND have extra small-group time with their new teacher, alongside whole-school transition days. Social stories and a handover led by phase leaders help communicate needs and introduce change. These arrangements support familiarity; they do not secure admission.
Full-time attendance and part-time mornings are the main nursery options. Children with a 15-hour funded entitlement can add paid afternoon sessions. The nursery also caters for 30-hour funded places. Funded hours must be accessible without mandatory extras: meals, consumables, additional activities and extra attendance hours can be charged separately, but cannot be a condition of taking a funded place. Optional trips and events may carry charges.
Nursery and foundation-stage children are brought into school by their class teacher at 08:45. Foundation-stage collection is at 3:15pm through the building’s rear entrance, and a responsible adult must collect children. Nursery children may wear a white polo shirt and omit the tie.
Contact the office on 0161 370 3079 or email office@mrpa.org.uk to enquire. There is also an online enquiry form. Parking is restricted, with parking on Water Lane near the rear entrance, a practical consideration when planning collection.
The nursery provides for three-year-olds. Places are offered for the year in which children turn four.
Yes. Part-time nursery places are morning sessions; full-time places are also offered. Children entitled to 15 funded hours can attend additional paid afternoons.
No. Parents must apply separately online through the council admissions process. The initial closing date is usually in January; follow the dates for your child’s entry year.
Meals and snacks are separate chargeable extras. Dinners are offered for 30-hour funded places, and snacks are charged termly. Extras cannot be mandatory conditions of accessing funded hours.
The early years team plans adjustments with parents, using home visits and agency meetings where necessary. For SEN support, the child’s key person or worker works daily with the child, supported by the SENCO, with agreed outcomes and review dates.
