Corpus Christi RC Primary School Nursery Review

A mud kitchen, a Lending Library and Friday PE give Corpus Christi’s nursery a character built around practical play, books and movement. The nursery belongs to the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with room for 26 children in each morning and afternoon session. Alongside it, a separate provision for two-year-olds has 10 morning places. These are distinct groups within the school’s early years provision, rather than a single nursery intake.

On Cargo Fleet Lane in Middlesbrough, the nursery has a class teacher who also leads the EYFS. Its Catholic character extends to relationships: the nursery aims to make care responsive to each child through an individual keyworker.

Play and conversation shape the learning. The EYFS brings together language, physical skills and social development with early reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Children explore, take an active part in learning and develop their own ideas. For parents, that means learning reaches beyond early letters and numbers to how children communicate, move and relate to others.

The outdoor classroom makes that breadth concrete. A garden and mud kitchen sit alongside spaces for role play and miniature imaginative worlds. Children can build large models, experiment with water and sand, dig, climb, ride bikes and make dens. These activities give children different ways to explore materials, movement and the natural world.

Indoors and outdoors, creative work includes drawing, mixing colours and experimenting with textures. Early years children also plan simple models through marks, join materials and begin to explain their choices. Some activities start with children’s ideas; others are directed by adults.

Nursery reading begins with pre-phonics skills. In April 2024, children developed these successfully through work on listening, distinguishing sounds and producing speech. Across early years, adults sustained conversations and shared books, while children concentrated closely on activities they had chosen. The Lending Library lets children and parents exchange books throughout the week, carrying that interest home. PE takes place on Fridays.

Each nursery child has a keyworker responsible for a close relationship and care suited to their needs. This gives families an identifiable adult connection within the team. In April 2024, routines became familiar quickly for children starting school, providing a practical foundation for settling into the group.

Parents can join stay and play sessions and phonics workshops each half-term. These provide opportunities to share learning with staff, rather than leaving nursery experiences entirely separate from home.

For additional needs, the school’s SEND team includes a coordinator covering early years and Key Stage 1, alongside a Child and Family Welfare Lead. Both school SEND coordinators have completed the National Award for SEN Coordination. Parents raise concerns with the class teacher, who passes them to the coordinator; meetings or telephone conversations can be arranged through the office. Regular SEND coffee mornings also give families an informal opportunity to discuss support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application through the Local Authority Common Application Form and meet the local authority’s closing date. Treat this as another application, even when your child already attends nursery.

Applicants to the Catholic academy should also complete a Supplementary Information Form. If places are oversubscribed, its information helps determine the application’s category, and failing to provide it could affect that category. Families must supply the forms and supporting evidence themselves; reminders are not sent.

Morning nursery runs from 8:30am to 11:30am; the afternoon runs from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. The two-year-old group uses the morning hours. Those separate session boundaries matter when planning collection and other childcare.

A limited number of 30-hour places are offered. For eligible children, these begin in the term after their third birthday, and an offer is confirmed only after the school verifies the HMRC eligibility code. Parents bring the validation code, their National Insurance number and their child’s birth certificate to the office for verification with the local authority.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01642 211597. Parents should also tell the school about medical conditions and any change to the person bringing or collecting their child, so staff have the information needed for daily care.