Knutton St Marys CofE Academy Nursery Review

Rolling pins, dough and pancake shapes give a concrete picture of nursery learning at Knutton St Marys CofE Academy. In March 2025, children practised using these tools with growing confidence. Small movements had a clear purpose.

This is the nursery within a Church of England primary academy on Church Lane in Knutton, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Its place within the school also brings access to the school's arrangements for inclusion and support.

Physical development is a clear focus. In March 2025, staff recognised that children often needed extra help with movement skills when joining, and provided opportunities to practise both larger movements and finer hand control. Making dough pancakes with cutters and rolling pins put that work into a practical activity children could concentrate on. Concentration was developing well.

The timetable gives families three distinct options: a morning from 8.45am to 11.45am, an afternoon from 12.15pm to 3.15pm, or a day running from 8.45am to 3.15pm. These are useful differences when matching attendance to a child's routine.

Ofsted's ungraded inspection on 4 and 5 March 2025 described a settled, welcoming early years environment and children receiving attentive care. That is a dated finding about early years, rather than a separate nursery grade. The March 2025 ungraded inspection also raised concerns about aspects of the school's work and confirmed that its next inspection would be graded. This was a whole-school outcome, not a separate nursery judgement.

Starting arrangements include a meeting for parents about routines and supporting their child, plus summer visits for September starters. Home visits are possible, and extra visits can be arranged where needed. Children with identified or potential special educational needs and disabilities have transition plans, giving families a way to prepare support before the move.

For SEND support, the class teacher and SENDCo work with parents through Assess, Plan, Do, Review: identify needs, agree support, put it into practice and check its effect. Parent meetings take place at least termly. Support can include help with dressing, toileting or eating, alongside advice from services such as Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. This connects classroom learning with practical care needs.

Physical access includes a school disabled toilet with a changing table. Ramps serve the main entrances and most classrooms, making the building's access arrangements relevant to families considering mobility needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the local authority where they live, by the normal primary deadline of 15 January.

For entry in 2027/28, nursery attendance gives no priority under the school's oversubscription criteria. Choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery itself.

Class changes have their own preparation: staff pass information to the next teacher, and Individual Learning Plans and Personal Support Plans transfer with the child. Where extra help is needed, arrangements can include photographs of new staff to take home or additional sessions with them. Familiarity and admissions remain separate matters.

Nursery applications can be completed electronically and emailed to office@ksmacademy.com, or handed to the academy office on paper.

An adult must supervise children onto the playground. The morning gate opens at 8.35am and closes at 8.50am; nursery starts at 8.45am. After registration closes at 8.55am, children enter through the main entrance and receive a late mark.

Collection gates open at 2.55pm and close at 3.30pm. Children collected late are picked up from the school office at the main entrance. These gate windows matter alongside the nursery's own session finish times.