Normanby Primary School Nursery Review

Counting out a snack turns an ordinary nursery routine into a maths lesson at Normanby. In July 2022, nursery teaching used these everyday opportunities to practise numbers, while early years children devised games using counting frames, counters and dice. Learning had a practical starting point.

Normanby Primary School's nursery is Foundation Stage 1 (FS1), within the school on Flatts Lane, Normanby. Preparation for joining includes contact approximately three months before a child's third birthday. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside 30 hour provision, giving families different lengths of nursery day to consider.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines early learning with children's development. Here, the July 2022 examples make that concrete: number language and counting appeared in games and snack routines, while physical learning included balancing, crawling and travelling. These are skills children can practise through activity, with objects and movements they understand.

Daily phonics formed part of early years teaching in July 2022. This introduces the relationship between sounds and written letters as children begin learning to read. Alongside the mathematical play, it gives the day both early literacy and number work.

There were also curriculum issues to address. The July 2022 inspection called for clearer connections between learning from Nursery Year and the later school curriculum, and consistent teaching as staff adopted a new phonics programme. These concerns matter to continuity: activities in nursery need to connect with what children learn next, and teaching approaches need to be used consistently.

Getting to know the child begins before the first session. Approximately three months before their third birthday, families are contacted to confirm that they still want a place and offered a visit together. A meeting then explores the child's development, interests and medical needs. That gives parents a specific opportunity to explain what their child enjoys and where they need help.

For children attending the 30 hour provision, lunch can be a school meal or a packed lunch with a drink from home. School meals carry a charge, with free meals potentially available to children whose families receive qualifying benefits.

Additional needs have a contact route through the school office to the special educational needs coordinator. Normanby also participates in the PINS Project, Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools. Families can use that initial meeting to raise their child's needs and establish contact with the relevant team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. For school application enquiries, contact the Admissions Team at Redcar & Cleveland Council. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as two separate steps.

Morning nursery runs from 8:40am to 11:40am; the afternoon session runs from 12:25pm to 3:25pm. The 30 hour day starts at 8:40am and ends at 2:40pm, with children arriving between 8:40am and 8:55am and collected by 2:40pm.

Longer days. Children using 30 hour provision can have charged care until 3:25pm, plus extended care from 8:00am to 8:40am and from 3:25pm to 5:30pm, finishing at 5:00pm on Fridays. Factor these separate additions into childcare planning and contact the school for current charges.

To register interest or arrange a school visit, contact the office on 01642 469529 or email office@normanby.org.uk. Nursery registration takes the family's contact details and the child's name and date of birth.