Seymour Road Academy Nursery

Choosing a book to take home starts in nursery at Seymour Road Academy. Children select stories for enjoyment, with teachers helping them find something they might like. That gives families a concrete connection between learning here and sharing books at home.

The nursery belongs to the primary academy on Seymour Road South in Clayton, Manchester, where the school caters for children from age three. Its staffing includes a nursery teacher and a nursery teaching assistant, with an assistant principal leading the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Nursery therefore has its own teaching roles within the wider early years team.

Conversation gives the day its clearest shape. Early years children have circle time, activities involving speaking and listening, and opportunities to hear poems, songs and nursery rhymes. Adults demonstrate how conversations work, including taking turns, and deliberately introduce vocabulary and new ideas. For a young child, participation means both listening and having something to say.

Learning spaces are designed to prompt language development. Staff use interactions with children to extend their language, so learning new words is woven into activity rather than confined to a single lesson. The EYFS is the starting point for the school's curriculum plans: here, the concrete foundations include communication, familiarity with sounds and learning how to participate.

In July 2024, Ofsted found that early years staff helped children become familiar with routines, sustain attention and persist with activities; children also practised making choices by voting on activities. These are useful everyday skills: joining in, sticking with something and expressing a preference.

The July 2024 inspection also identified a writing concern across early years and the wider school: some children had insecure skills, with occasional grammar and punctuation errors left uncorrected. This matters alongside the emphasis on language, because practising writing also needs feedback that helps children avoid repeating mistakes.

A nursery teacher and teaching assistant provide the nursery's teaching team. The early years leader also belongs to the safeguarding team, connecting responsibility for the youngest children with the school's child protection structure.

For children needing additional help, the academy provides support with communication, learning, emotional needs and sensory or physical needs. A speech and language therapist can assess communication and recommend strategies or programmes. Families can contact the SENCO through sendco@seymourroad.manchester.sch.uk, giving them a direct route to discuss their child's needs.

Reception admission is not guaranteed. A nursery place does not guarantee admission to the school. Contact the admissions team to confirm the Reception application process.

Nursery attendance is not among the stated allocation criteria. These cover severe medical or social needs, a sibling already attending, and the straight-line distance between school and home. Familiarity with the nursery should therefore be kept separate from expectations about obtaining a Reception place.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 0161 370 2616 or email admin@seymourroad.manchester.sch.uk. The academy welcomes families interested in visiting.

School uniform combines royal blue knitwear with a white shirt or polo shirt and grey trousers or a skirt; a blue-and-white summer dress is another option. All pupils receive a branded jumper at the beginning of each school year and a book bag when they first join. Pre-loved clothing is also held at the office, with uniform swaps at each term's end. These arrangements help families organise clothing for school.