Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy Nursery Review

Rhymes, songs and an annual encounter with a goat and sheep give the early years at Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy some distinctive starting points. Nursery is the first stage of learning within this girls’ school in Prestwich, which admits children from age three. The school’s Orthodox Jewish character provides the wider context: it aims to combine Torah learning with the development of character and personal relationships.

The early years provision was judged Good at the Ofsted inspection on 28 and 29 February 2024. That judgement applies to early years within the school, rather than to a separately inspected nursery.

Reading preparation starts with sound and rhythm. Children learn songs and rhymes in Nursery as groundwork for later phonics, giving these familiar activities a clear educational purpose. The emphasis at this stage is on foundations for reading, rather than simply treating singing as an isolated activity.

An annual visit involving a goat and sheep connects with children’s learning about nature. It gives a concrete focus to that topic: real animals become part of the learning experience. In February 2024, children enjoyed this encounter.

The early years curriculum had the same strengths in its design as the wider school curriculum, but its delivery had a specific weakness. In February 2024, some choices of activities and materials limited children’s opportunities to develop their understanding across the learning areas. Activities and resources. Teachers needed to match these more closely to the intended learning. For parents, the distinction matters: an engaging activity also needs to help children retain and extend what they learn.

Relationships and personal development are explicit priorities for the academy trust. It aims to build children’s confidence, encourage respect and involve parents and carers in their education. These aims give families a clear sense of the values the school wants to bring to its work with young children.

The trust also aims to respond to children’s emotional and social needs alongside their learning. This is an intention for its academies, rather than a nursery-specific assessment of care.

Nursery attendance gives neither a guaranteed Reception place nor priority in allocation. Families must make a separate Reception application; choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the early years experience itself.

For the September 2025 intake, families seeking faith-based priority needed to complete the supplementary application and return both forms to the academy by 15 January 2025. That was a past admissions cycle. The governing body is the admissions authority, and Reception places are considered through a separate process from nursery attendance.

The academy is on Sedgley Park Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 0JW. General enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 773 6364. This provides a direct contact route for families considering the nursery.