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Nursery at Moorside 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Books, conversation and practical play give Moorside’s nursery its character. Part of the Early Years Foundation Stage at Moorside Primary School in Droylsden, it combines learning through play with focused teaching. Families have two attendance patterns to consider: a morning place described as 15 hours, or a full-time place described as 30 hours.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 18 and 19 June 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The early-years findings give reading a clear place in the experience: children enjoyed books and shared stories.
Play takes several forms here. Children can play independently, collaborate with others, take part in learning games and join activities directed by a teacher. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach combines those experiences with focused learning, so play and adult guidance both have a place.
Stories provide a starting point for nursery learning. Writing begins with making marks during practical play, while early mathematics introduces counting, number, measurement and shape through activities and problems to investigate. These are concrete beginnings: children practise the skills that later become writing and mathematical reasoning through things they can do and explore.
Speaking and listening have a named structure. Moorside works with Voice 21 and uses The Oracy Framework. In early years, the emphasis includes taking turns, asking questions, connecting ideas and making oneself heard. That gives conversation a teaching purpose as well as a social one.
Read, Write, Inc introduces phonics from the nursery’s summer term. Alongside this, adults extend children’s thinking through questions, prompts and discussion during play. The approach gives staff opportunities to respond while a child is exploring an idea, rather than waiting until an activity ends.
Support for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follows the Moorside Graduated Approach. Teachers discuss concerns with parents, record emerging needs and consider adjustments such as visual prompts. For children receiving SEN support, plans are reviewed with parents each term. Parents’ observations are part of the process, helping staff connect what happens at home with learning in class.
Teaching assistants work with teachers to support individuals and groups. Across the school, additional support can take place in the classroom or, where appropriate, in a small room away from the main activity. Class Dojo, review meetings and conversations with staff provide routes for parent communication.
An in-house catering team prepares school meals. The daily choices include sandwiches, jacket potatoes and hot dishes, with a vegetarian option. Children make their selection in the morning. For families considering the longer nursery day, this school meal arrangement is a practical part of planning attendance.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat choosing a nursery pattern and applying for Reception as separate decisions.
For children with SEND, information is shared at the move from nursery to Reception. Records pass between settings, and staff from the receiving setting can join reviews where appropriate. This helps carry support arrangements forward; it does not confer an admissions advantage.
Both nursery patterns start at 8:45am. Morning collection is at 11:45am; full-time collection is at 3:15pm. Those finishing times are the useful distinction when fitting nursery around work or other childcare.
The school is on Market Street in Droylsden. A permanent ramp serves the nursery entrance, with a handrail on one side. Enquiries can be made by calling 0161 370 3614, emailing admin@moorside-primary.org or completing the online enquiry form.
There are 15-hour morning places and 30-hour full-time places. Both start at 8:45am, with collection at 11:45am or 3:15pm respectively.
Learning includes stories, mark making and practical mathematics. Early-years speaking and listening work includes asking questions and taking turns, and Read, Write, Inc phonics begins in the nursery summer term.
No. Families need to make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline.
The Moorside Graduated Approach includes parents’ views and discussions with teachers. Plans for children receiving SEN support are reviewed with parents each term.
Call 0161 370 3614, email admin@moorside-primary.org or use the school’s online enquiry form.
