St Ann's RC Primary School Nursery

Sand, water and an open-plan early years unit give St Ann's nursery its character. Nursery and Reception share this space within the Catholic primary school on Derbyshire Lane in Stretford. The school takes children from age three, and nursery attendance can be part time or full time. This is provision within the school, with access to a shared early years environment.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) unit gives children access to resources for practical play, including water and sand. Outdoors, the school describes equipment intended to challenge children. These are concrete opportunities to explore materials and try physical challenges, rather than a day defined solely by table-based tasks.

Language has a named approach. In EYFS, Talk for Writing uses spoken storytelling, movement and role-play to help children practise vocabulary and understand how stories work before recording their own ideas. The emphasis starts with talking. Across the school, Read Write Inc. brings together phonics, reading, handwriting, spelling and writing; children practise sounds and combine them to read words.

At the ungraded Ofsted inspection on 29 and 30 April 2025, enthusiasm for reading was developing successfully from the early years, but some activities in this phase did not fit the intended learning closely enough. That mismatch sometimes left children's knowledge less secure. For families, the distinction matters: access to appealing activities needs to be matched by clear teaching purposes.

Support sits within the school's SEND arrangements. Parents can raise concerns with their child's teacher or the SEND coordinator, who works with teachers and families to identify additional needs early. Observations, information from parents and advice from specialist services contribute to that process.

The school uses an Assess Plan Do Review cycle. A SEND Support Plan records a child's strengths, needs, targets and support, with parents contributing to its preparation. Support runs for a term before its impact is reviewed, giving families a defined point to discuss progress and next steps.

For communication needs, provision can include picture-based timetables, Listening Skills and BLAST, alongside work with Speech and Language Therapists. Some children with medical needs have Health Care Plans prepared with families and health professionals. These arrangements connect classroom support with a child's individual needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Trafford's primary admissions process; the deadline for the 2027 intake is 15 January 2027.

The shared early years space gives nursery children a connection with Reception provision, but that physical arrangement does not secure admission. Children with SEND who need extra help moving between year groups can have individual transition plans developed with parents, teachers, teaching assistants and the SEND coordinator.

Part-time attendance comprises 15 hours a week, taken in either the morning or afternoon. Full-time attendance comprises 30 hours a week and depends on eligibility for 30-hour funding. Full-time places carry an additional lunchtime charge; contact the school for current charges, with further details supplied when a place is accepted.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 0161 865 7705 or at stannesrc.admin@trafford.gov.uk. Nursery places are allocated through the school, so this is also the route for checking whether a place is available.