St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Walker: Nursery Review

Stories and counting gave nursery learning concrete character at the March 2024 inspection: early years children read daily, while a nursery maths activity turned numbers into chicks counted into a nest. This is the school’s own nursery at St Alban’s Catholic Primary School in Walker, on Westbourne Avenue. It sits within a Catholic school whose stated ethos centres on valuing each child.

Adult-led learning and independent activity both feature in the early years day. In March 2024, staff checked children’s starting knowledge and used that assessment to shape teaching around gaps in their understanding. Daily reading was accompanied by activities connected to stories, giving children opportunities to explore what they had read through other learning.

The nursery maths example is concrete: children chose numbers up to five, then matched each number with chicks placed in a nest. It connects a number with an actual quantity. Focused teaching supported learning, and early years staff were recognised for their expertise at the inspection on 26 and 27 March 2024.

Independent learning needed more attention. In March 2024, children had insufficient time to consolidate teaching through sustained practice. Some lost focus after moving from adult-led work to activities they tackled independently, and the intended learning was unclear. Opportunities to extend understanding were consequently missed. Some early years children still had gaps in their learning, leaving them unprepared for the next stage. Curriculum implementation needed improvement so those gaps could be closed rapidly. For parents, the useful distinction is between a purposeful taught activity and what children learn when they choose and pursue activities themselves.

Support for additional needs is organised across the school through a qualified special educational needs coordinator and a SEND teacher. The Newcastle Graduated Response Approach structures assessment, planning, action and review. Individual Support Plans are shared with families and staff, making the support a child receives a matter for joint discussion.

Communication support includes visual timetables, adapted where a child needs a different format, and small speech and language groups working towards individual targets. Areas with fewer distractions provide another option for children who need a quieter place to concentrate. These are school-wide arrangements, rather than a description of a separate nursery support service.

Physical access includes an entrance ramp, a lift serving all floors and an accessible toilet. Families can contact the SEND team through the school office to discuss learning or wellbeing concerns. Review meetings provide a further opportunity to discuss additional needs and adjust support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions, even though both concern the same school.

Nursery finishes at 3.10pm, an important collection time for arranging the working day. Breakfast and after-school clubs are restricted to children from Reception upwards, with limited numbers, so those clubs do not extend the nursery day.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0191 262 5552 or email office@stalbansnewcastle.co.uk. The office opens from 8.30am to 4.15pm, except on Friday when opening is at 8.50am.