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Nursery at Ellenborough Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
In June 2024, songs, stories and rhymes gave even the two-year-olds a starting point for exploring language at Ellenborough Academy. This is the school's own early years provision in Maryport, with children able to start from age 2 and a phased introduction to its Nursery and Preschool classes. The emphasis is on joining a classroom community gradually, rather than starting everyone together.
The nursery sits within the infant school on Victory Crescent. For parents considering an early start to school life, the phased introduction gives younger children a gradual way into classroom routines.
A clear sequence shapes the nursery timetable. Doors open for registration at 8.30am, followed by the first morning session at 8.45am. A break at 10.30am separates this from another morning learning period beginning at 10.45am. Lunch starts at noon; the afternoon session begins at 1.00pm, and the school day finishes at 3.00pm. These landmarks give families a concrete sense of how learning, breaks and lunch fit together.
In June 2024, early learning for nursery children, including those aged two, included listening to stories, singing and practising rhymes to investigate sounds and words. This gives parents a dated picture of early reading preparation: language explored through familiar spoken activities.
Language development. In June 2024, the curriculum needed a clearer sequence for developing early communication. Staff used suitable language strategies, but sometimes lacked clarity about how to extend children's communication further. Some children consequently made less progress with vocabulary and language than they could, affecting learning elsewhere too. This mattered alongside the nursery's story and song activities in June 2024: taking part and having a carefully planned next step are different parts of learning.
Starting nursery is phased, allowing new children to join the Nursery and Preschool classes gradually. In June 2024, children in the two-year-old provision settled promptly, and early years children were happy and prepared for learning. That offers a dated indication of how the youngest children managed the move into school life.
Communication with families includes an open-door approach across the school. Parents can arrange a meeting with the special educational needs coordinator through the main office. For a family with concerns about development, this provides a direct route into a discussion about support.
Children with SEND have their individual needs assessed and obstacles to learning identified. Classroom activities are adapted to those needs, while progress can be tracked through the school's small steps curriculum. The practical emphasis is on adjusting access to learning for the individual child.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the normal deadline. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two decisions, so that familiarity with the school does not become an assumption about admission.
Contact the school for a nursery application pack. Visits can be arranged by appointment, giving families an opportunity to meet the team before applying. The main office number is 01900 812931. For safeguarding concerns, families can use that number and ask for the designated safeguarding lead, or email head@ellenborough.cumbria.sch.uk.
Children can begin at Ellenborough from age 2, with phased entry into Nursery and Preschool classes.
Registration begins when doors open at 8.30am. Morning learning starts at 8.45am, lunch is at noon, and the afternoon session runs from 1.00pm until the school day ends at 3.00pm.
New children join through a phased intake. In June 2024, children in the two-year-old provision settled promptly.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process by the normal deadline.
Call the school office on 01900 812931 to arrange a meeting with the special educational needs coordinator. Individual needs are assessed and classroom learning is adapted accordingly.
