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Nursery at Thorntree 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Language comes first at Thorntree’s nursery: helping children express themselves and grow confident enough to explore. The provision belongs to Thorntree Academy in Middlesbrough, with nursery and Reception teams working together within the Foundation Stage. Children usually begin shortly after their third birthday; enquiries about provision for two-year-olds go directly to the school.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 9 and 10 April 2024. This was an early years judgement within the school inspection. In April 2024, teaching responded to children’s starting points, with communication and language receiving particular attention.
Children’s choices and adult teaching both shape the day. Learning takes place outside as well as indoors, giving children different ways to explore alongside their peers. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum initially emphasises communication and children’s social and emotional development. In everyday terms, learning to express an idea and work with another child matters alongside early reading and number work.
Adults use conversations and books to develop vocabulary. Nursery literacy includes talking at length about stories, noticing rhymes and clapping the syllables in words. Children also begin to connect marks with meaning through early writing, including their names. These are practical steps towards understanding how spoken and written language work.
White Rose mathematics provides a named structure for number learning. Children practise counting, matching quantities to numerals and comparing amounts. Shape and pattern work sits alongside this: children explore position, size and repeating sequences, rather than meeting mathematics only as written numbers.
Teaching adjusts as children develop. Staff observe progress and interests, then use that knowledge to shape learning experiences. In April 2024, adults helped children become more confident and curious, with teaching responding to each child’s needs and interests.
Parent participation includes reading sessions, craft activities and Learner Dialogues. These give families ways to join in with learning and discuss development. For children with additional needs, the school’s SEND Support Plans bring individual targets and personalised help together, with reviews through termly Learner Dialogues.
Shared school support includes Seedlings, a room equipped with adaptive resources and sensory tools for individual or small-group work. Extra classroom visits and meetings with a new teacher can form part of transition support, tailored to the child. This makes preparation a matter of individual needs rather than a single fixed routine.
Breakfast Club serves toast, fruit, cereals, milk and yoghurt. Foundation Stage children can attend after one term in school, and parents support children who are new to the club until they become familiar with its routines.
Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor confers admissions priority. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority, using its online portal or common application form. For September 2027 entry, the closing date is 15 January 2027.
Classroom familiarity is a separate benefit. Nursery children visit their future classes, and parents are invited to a group meeting with Reception teachers before children start. These arrangements help prepare children for the change; they do not determine who receives a place.
Morning nursery runs from 8:40am to 11:45am; the afternoon session is 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Those distinct windows matter when arranging collection and the rest of the family’s day.
Enquiries go to the school on 01642 242309 or thorntree@thorntreeacademy.org.uk. A waiting list can apply, so parents are encouraged to register interest in good time. The nursery teacher contacts families when a place becomes available.
Children are usually admitted shortly after their third birthday. Contact the school about provision for two-year-olds.
Morning nursery runs from 8:40am to 11:45am, and afternoon nursery from 12:15pm to 3:15pm.
No. It neither guarantees a place nor gives admissions priority. Reception requires a separate local authority application; the deadline for September 2027 entry is 15 January 2027.
Families can participate through reading sessions, craft activities and Learner Dialogues. SEND Support Plans are reviewed with parents each term.
They can attend after one term in school. Parents support children who are new to the club until they settle into its routines.
