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Nursery at Park End Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Wellies, rhymes and learning to brush teeth give Park End’s early years a practical character. Independence matters alongside the beginnings of reading. Acorns caters for two-year-olds and Saplings for three-year-olds, within Park End Primary School on Overdale Road in Middlesbrough.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 23 and 24 November 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery. The detail behind it is useful for parents: children were encouraged to tackle everyday tasks themselves, with adults allowing time for them to manage their own outdoor clothing.
Reading begins in the Nursery Year through songs and rhythmic rhymes, with more formal reading introduced when children are ready. Adults demonstrate how to speak and communicate. For a young child, this makes the beginnings of literacy part of familiar spoken activities, rather than an immediate expectation to read independently.
The early years foundation stage takes a practical form in the November 2022 findings: communication, counting and personal independence overlap during ordinary routines. Around snack time, washing hands and brushing teeth become opportunities to practise numbers as well as hygiene. Learning is woven into the care of the child.
A secret garden gives the nursery a named outdoor space. Inside the Foundation Stage, a cafe area provides children with drinks and snacks. These are concrete parts of the setting’s daily environment, while the emphasis on putting on wellies and rainwear gives children a task they can increasingly handle for themselves.
Snack routines make self-care visible. In November 2022, children had time to dress themselves in weatherproof clothing, and adults encouraged them to become more independent. The implication is simple: everyday care also gives children practice at doing things for themselves.
For additional needs, the school’s SEND process brings parents into planning. Concerns can be raised with the class teacher, who involves the SEND coordinator. A SEND Support Plan is developed with staff, parents and external professionals, setting out needs, provision and short-term targets. The Early Years and Primary Inclusion team can advise staff and provide direct help for children in their setting. This gives families a route from an initial concern to a planned response.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Middlesbrough’s school admissions service, using the normal application timetable.
Attendance does confer a specific advantage under the school’s listed oversubscription criteria. After children whose EHCP names the school are admitted, nursery attendance ranks below children in care, admission-zone residents, qualifying siblings and qualifying social or medical reasons, but above distance. This is a place in the allocation order, not an assured offer.
Transition support is a separate matter. Acorns and Nursery preparation includes transition sessions, toilet training and visual or social stories. Before children change classrooms, families can meet their new teacher; a newsletter explains the teacher and classroom location. Children with SEND may spend additional time with their next teacher. These measures help prepare children for different adults and routines, independently of the admissions decision.
Acorns has a morning session from 8.30am to 11.30am and an afternoon session from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Nursery mornings run from 8.45am to 11.45am, with afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The 30-hour provision runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm, giving families a longer attendance pattern alongside the shorter sessions.
Applications for Acorns and Saplings use a form collected from the school office or downloaded from the admissions page. Funded 30-hour places for three-year-olds are included in the school’s nursery allocation process, subject to its admissions policies and childcare eligibility. The school office can be contacted on 01642 314309 or at contact@parkendprimary.co.uk.
Acorns is the two-year-old provision; Saplings is the three-year-old nursery.
Acorns runs from 8.30am to 11.30am or 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Nursery sessions are 8.45am to 11.45am or 12.15pm to 3.15pm, with 30-hour provision from 8.45am to 3.15pm.
No. Nursery attendance appears in the oversubscription criteria, but families still need a separate application through Middlesbrough’s school admissions service.
Collect an application form from the school office or download it from the admissions page. This route covers both Acorns and Saplings.
Speak to the child’s class teacher, who will involve the SEND coordinator. Parents take part in developing a SEND Support Plan where ongoing additional support is required.
