Mossfield Primary School Nursery Review

Stories, nursery rhymes and learning to talk confidently give Mossfield’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own Nursery Class on Mossfield Road in Swinton, with entry in September following a child’s third birthday. The admissions model introduced from September 2023 provides 30 full-time places.

Its place within the school’s early years provision matters: learning combines adult-supported play with direct teaching, rather than treating preparation for school as reading alone. Playing together, handling feelings and asking questions are explicit parts of the curriculum.

Talking and listening are central to the early years curriculum. Mossfield follows the Early Years Foundation Stage, with stories and books supporting language development, nursery rhymes adding another way to practise language, and mathematical ideas explored through both teaching and practical activity. For parents, that means learning includes conversation and exploration as well as adult-led instruction.

Read Write Inc provides the named approach to phonics, but the nursery’s role is introductory. Children encounter skills intended to prepare them for the taught programme. This distinction matters when choosing an early years setting: the nursery prepares children for later reading instruction rather than promising that they will already follow the full programme.

Topic planning gives the year a recognisable shape. Autumn includes All About Me and Celebrations and Festivals; spring brings Transport and Space alongside People Who Help Us. Growing and Animals and Their Habitats appear in summer. These themes give families concrete starting points for conversations about what children are learning.

Support for learning together is built into play. Adults help children manage emotions and practise asking questions, connecting social development with the activities of the day. In October 2023, Ofsted described a calm, respectful atmosphere extending to children starting in early years.

For SEND concerns, the school’s SENCO is the contact for discussing support. Citywide provides the school meal service, with food prepared fresh. Families with special dietary requirements should contact the school first; it arranges a discussion with Citywide. That gives dietary needs a specific route for consideration.

Reception requires another application. Attending Mossfield’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must apply again through Salford Local Authority so its admission criteria can be applied; familiarity with the school does not remove that separate step.

For September 2027 entry, the Reception application deadline is 15 January 2027. Applications can be made through Salford’s school admissions online service. Families planning to stay at Mossfield should put that deadline in their calendar while their child is still attending nursery.

The full-time model follows a school day beginning at 8:50am and ending at 3:20pm. Nursery doors open at 8:40am. Parents may accompany their child into the classroom and help put belongings away, giving the morning handover a practical role.

Collection needs to fit the afternoon finish. Nursery children awaiting collection after 3:20pm are taken to the main office. If an emergency delays collection, parents should notify the office so the teacher can receive the message.

Nursery place allocation is coordinated by Salford Local Authority. For communication with Mossfield itself, the school office can be reached on 0161 841 5870 or at office@mossfieldps.salford.sch.uk; there is also an online contact form.