Morpeth First School Nursery Review

Connecting blocks for measuring, objects for counting and rhymes for language: at the December 2022 inspection, Morpeth First School’s nursery gave early learning a concrete shape. This is the school’s own provision for three-year-olds, in Loansdean, Morpeth. The emphasis in the nursery-specific findings is on the beginnings of number and reading, with children handling materials and listening to language.

Ofsted graded early years provision Good at the inspection on 6 and 7 December 2022. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision; it is not a separate nursery inspection outcome.

In December 2022, nursery mathematics combined counting with practical measurement. Children used connecting blocks to explore measuring and counted with different objects. The useful detail is the material itself: children could work with things they could handle as they developed an understanding of number. Counting was supported by objects, rather than being described only as a verbal exercise.

In December 2022, stories and rhymes gave language learning another starting point. Staff read to children from the beginning of their time in nursery, helping them develop language knowledge. For parents, this connects an everyday nursery activity with a specific purpose: listening to words and sounds builds the knowledge needed for later reading.

In December 2022, work with the letters in children’s names introduced their sounds. This prepared nursery children for the next stage of phonics learning. Names made the sound work personal and concrete. Together, these examples show what early years learning meant in practice here: developing language and mathematical understanding through familiar words and physical materials.

Additional help with early reading was linked to checks on what children knew. In December 2022, staff used those checks to identify who needed support, helping children in early years catch up. The practical implication is that support responded to children’s learning, rather than simply repeating the same activity. For a parent concerned about early language or reading development, that is a relevant part of the early years picture.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application even when their child already attends this nursery. The application route is Northumberland County Council’s online system at www.northumberland.gov.uk.

Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions. A nursery place does not replace the later application, and preparation for phonics is a learning benefit rather than an admissions entitlement. Submit the Reception application through the normal route by the applicable deadline.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 01670 512 893 or email admin@morpethfirst.northumberland.sch.uk. Nursery applications have their own application form, distinct from the council route used for Reception. Keep that distinction clear when organising applications for your child: the nursery form concerns the nursery place, while the separate council application concerns entry to Reception.