St Anne's RC Primary School Nursery Review

Children's interests set the direction at St Anne's nursery, with shared books and religious education adding planned points of focus. This is nursery provision within a Catholic primary school on Clarendon Road in Audenshaw, Manchester. Its character combines learning shaped around individual children with participation in the school's curriculum.

We hold no published inspection grade for it.

An interest can become the starting point for learning here. Nursery planning follows what absorbs the children rather than fixing their activities around rigid themes. Adults join children in the nursery's learning areas and use those interactions to develop each child's next steps. That gives individual interests a practical role in deciding what happens next.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework. In parent language, this brings care, development and learning together. Early emphasis falls on talking and understanding, movement, and children's emotional and social development. These foundations inform planned activities, rather than sitting apart from them as separate lessons.

Alongside those foundations come mathematics, literacy, expressive arts and design, and understanding the world. Activities are planned for both outdoor and indoor learning, taking individual needs into account. The approach therefore combines attention to a child's development with opportunities to learn in different spaces.

There is also some shared direction. Flexible topics help staff address learning objectives that children need to cover. Whole-school book focuses give nursery children a text to explore in depth, followed by related activities. Religious education has its own focus days, connecting nursery learning with the school's Catholic character. Children's interests influence the planning, while books and RE provide common material to explore together.

A class teacher is assigned to nursery. Individual next steps also shape the learning approach: adults use their interactions with children to personalise what follows. For parents, that makes the child's interests and development useful starting points for conversations about learning.

SEND support sits within the school's graduated approach. Its provision has three waves, moving from adapted teaching towards small-group intervention and, where needed after review, more individual support. Assessment, planning, action and review form the cycle, so additional provision can change when it is not helping a child progress. Families can contact the SEND team directly at senco@st-annes-audenshaw.tameside.sch.uk.

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 nursery and applying for Reception as two decisions; participation in school learning activities does not itself secure admission.

The funding structure distinguishes 15 hours of childcare from the full 30 hours available to eligible families with the relevant childcare code. An afternoon charge applies when a family is not eligible for that full entitlement. Contact the school for current charges before committing to afternoon attendance.

For enquiries, email admin@st-annes-audenshaw.tameside.sch.uk or telephone 0161 370 8698. Visits can be arranged through the office, giving prospective families an opportunity to see the school before making their nursery choice.