Front Street Community Primary School Nursery Review

Pedal bikes, storytelling and finger gym give Front Street’s nursery a practical, playful character. Speaking, listening and learning to get along take precedence here: the nursery curriculum puts communication and children’s social and emotional development first. That means learning to express a need or take a turn belongs alongside early counting and mark making.

Part of Front Street Community Primary School in Whickham, the nursery combines activities guided by adults with play children choose themselves. Its outdoor area is shared with Reception, giving nursery children a physical connection to the next stage of school life.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning about language, relationships, movement, reading, mathematics, creativity and the world. Here, those areas overlap through play. Counting rhymes and sorting introduce mathematical ideas; stories, role play and conversations give children reasons to listen and speak. Topics include My Wonderful World and Let’s Explore, with room to follow children’s interests rather than treating a theme as a fixed script.

Physical activity works at different scales. Children can pedal bikes, kick balls and climb, while bead threading, scissors and puzzles call for smaller, more controlled movements. Finger gym concentrates on strengthening fingers. Read, Write, Inc resources introduce letter sounds and formation when a child is ready, according to individual need. The starting point is readiness.

Outdoor play forms part of the daily routine, with free flow access to resources that extend learning beyond the classroom. Creative work includes movement to music, imaginative play and experimenting with art materials. The early years music plan names Exploring Sound, Musical Stories and Big Band: different starting points for listening, expression and making music.

In October 2023, Ofsted found that children had opportunities to develop speaking and listening from Nursery, and that early years children sustained attention and participated in learning.

Independence is practised in small, everyday steps. Children learn to manage personal hygiene, choose resources and make decisions with adult help. Circle time and role play provide opportunities to practise waiting, sharing conversation and understanding other children. Agreed routines and boundaries give this social learning a consistent framework.

Staff work with parents to understand each child’s experiences and needs, and the curriculum takes account of learning at home and in previous settings. The early years approach includes identifying special educational needs and disabilities and arranging support promptly. Music teaching also allows adaptations to resources and delivery for individual needs, including attention to sensory needs and avoiding overwhelming noise.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing the nursery should therefore be a decision about the nursery experience itself.

Continuity has a practical basis here: Nursery and Reception share an outdoor area. Staff also liaise with parents, previous nurseries and other childcare providers to support transitions. That work helps connect children’s experiences between settings; it is separate from the allocation of school places.

Two weekday sessions provide the basic pattern. The morning runs from 8.30am to 11.30am, and the afternoon from 12.15pm to 3.15pm, both Monday to Friday. Families can compare these collection times directly with their working day and other childcare commitments.

The school is on North View, Whickham, NE16 4AY. Nursery enquiries can go through the school office on 0191 488 1941, where the school business manager directs queries to the appropriate person.