St Thomas More RC Primary School Nursery

Stories, songs and Catholic learning give this half-day nursery its character. St Thomas More RC Primary School has nursery capacity for 22 children, with entry usually shortly after a child's third birthday. Children normally attend mornings or afternoons. For families, the practical starting point is a short session rather than a full school day.

The nursery belongs to the school's early years provision. Ofsted graded early years Good following the inspection on 20 and 21 February 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects early learning with children's understanding of themselves and their surroundings. Here, Understanding the World includes exploring the local environment, noticing differences between places and learning about people's beliefs. Outdoor learning extends into the school grounds and local community, giving children things to observe and discuss beyond classroom activities.

Language has a clear place in the curriculum. In February 2024, stories and singing were prominent in early years learning, while teaching introduced sounds and returned to them to consolidate understanding. Sounds Write is the reading and phonics programme used across EYFS. Physical preparation for writing also matters: the Kinetic Letter approach develops movement skills before work on holding a pencil and forming letters.

A past example shows how a story can become an activity. In autumn 2022, nursery plans paired The Gruffalo with a walk based on the story and making Gruffalo crumble. A Bethlehem Role Play area supported retelling the Christmas story. These were activities for that particular term, rather than a current timetable.

Come & See brings Catholic religious education into nursery, connecting questions about belief with children's experiences. Reading needs a qualification, however. In February 2024, the school's earliest readers needed practice books that better supported fluent reading. Learning sounds and developing fluent reading are distinct steps.

Nursery staffing includes a teacher with the SENDCo role and a teaching assistant. That places special educational needs coordination within the nursery teaching structure. In February 2024, early years children were playing cooperatively and learning alongside one another peacefully.

Children with special educational needs or disabilities who require extra learning support receive a SEND Support Plan. Depending on need, support may involve the Speech and Language Service, Psychological Service or Learning Support Service. Parents have regular contact with the class teacher and SENCo, with plans reviewed termly. This gives families a recurring opportunity to discuss progress and targeted help.

Food brought onto the premises must follow the school's No Nuts Policy, which excludes nuts and foods containing traces of nuts. This matters for anything families send with their child.

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. Middlesbrough Council is the route for primary school admissions. Treat choosing a nursery session and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. These are the nursery times to use when planning collection and other childcare.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01642 317350. Families can arrange a school tour and discuss admission. The office keeps a nursery admissions list, and the nursery contacts parents when a place becomes available.