St Augustine's CofE Primary School Nursery Review

Stories, conversation and children’s own interests shape the early years provision at St Augustine’s. Daily shared reading starts in nursery, while planning draws on what children already know and what they need to learn next. Books give the day a clear thread.

The nursery belongs to St Augustine’s CofE Primary School in Monsall, Manchester, within its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision. The Foundation Stage team includes an EYFS leader and a nursery teaching assistant. Christian values shape the wider school’s ethos, with respect, forgiveness, hope and love providing its reference points.

Learning starts with the child. Staff use children’s experiences and interests to select activities, then divide learning into manageable steps in their weekly plans. Adaptations are built into that planning. For parents, the practical implication is a curriculum that takes account of individual starting points alongside the early years learning programme.

Language receives explicit attention. The EYFS approach includes conversations with adults and other children, poems and rhymes, storytelling and role play. Children practise expressing ideas and using new vocabulary in different situations. This makes talking part of learning itself.

Shared reading gives nursery children a daily encounter with a text displayed for the class. An initial reading concentrates on enjoyment and meaning; subsequent discussion explores vocabulary, predictions and the order of events. Classroom reading areas contain books chosen for children’s ages, giving stories a physical place in the learning environment.

In March 2025, Ofsted described careful modelling of how individual sounds form words in the early years. There was also a specific concern: some early years teaching did not make the knowledge children should retain sufficiently clear, limiting their recall. That distinction matters when judging the learning experience: an explicit reading approach sits alongside a need for clearer explanations elsewhere.

Additional needs are identified from the beginning of early years. The March 2025 findings describe systems for recognising those needs and adaptations that help children participate in learning. Support therefore begins with identifying what a child needs to access the curriculum.

Communication development is checked through termly WellComm assessments, with intervention groups for children needing further help. Parents receive curriculum summaries each term and can email the class teacher about learning. The School Jotter app carries newsletters and school alerts, providing another channel for keeping in touch.

Food support includes access to fruit and milk, either free or subsidised, for all children. The school also offers every child a free breakfast.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. St Augustine’s follows Manchester City Council’s admission policy, so choosing nursery should be treated separately from securing the next school place.

For enquiries, contact the school office on 01612052812 or email admin@st-augustines.manchester.sch.uk. The school invites families to telephone the office to arrange an appointment. Its address is St Augustine Street, Manchester, M40 8PL.