Waterville Primary School Nursery Review

Stories, songs and counting give Waterville’s nursery its character. In February 2025, Ofsted described early language work built around rhymes and books, with young children exploring numbers through familiar stories. These are connected activities: children use language while making sense of quantities.

The nursery belongs to Waterville Primary School in North Shields, where the school’s age range begins at three. It forms part of the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage provision.

Two three-hour sessions shape the nursery timetable, with a morning option and an afternoon option. Learning follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Here, that means a focus on early communication and mathematics, illustrated by children sorting and counting animals as they act out stories with adults. Familiar narratives give number work a context children can recognise.

Children’s interests also influence activity planning when they start nursery. In February 2025, staff used stories, singing and rhymes to develop language, while reading practice extended into the early years. The school uses Read Write Inc for its EYFS phonics teaching; its early years resources include Nursery Phonics Planning and advice videos for parents. These give families ways to understand the sounds work alongside classroom learning.

Beyond classroom activities, possible nursery outings include trips to the library, walks nearby and a beach visit. These are possibilities, rather than a guaranteed programme. The annual events list includes a Christmas nativity and party.

Curriculum precision. The February 2025 inspection called for clearer identification and checking of essential knowledge in some wider subjects across the school. This was a school-level concern, rather than a finding specifically about nursery teaching.

Relationships provide a foundation for learning. In February 2025, nursery and Reception children developed close connections with staff who paid careful attention to them. For a young child, that puts familiar adults alongside the language and number activities.

Home visits feature among the nursery’s annual events. Families can also use an All About Me form, giving them a concrete way to introduce their child. For communication, the school directs parents to each class’s Seesaw app.

Support extends beyond the classroom. The early years inclusion page signposts SENDIASS, an autism society and North Tyneside Parent Forum. These give parents named routes to advice about additional needs. The school’s inclusion approach includes working with families.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. The early years page provides separate nursery and Reception application forms; the school’s admissions page directs families to North Tyneside Council for further admissions information. Treat the next application as a separate decision.

Morning nursery runs from 08:45 to 11:45; the afternoon session runs from 12:15 to 15:15. Children attending the morning session may also use Breakfast Club from 08:00, which adds an earlier start for those families.

A 30-hour provision is offered to families who qualify. The early years funding page links eligibility checking for working families and a provision form. Contact the school for details of this option, as its timetable page advises.

Nursery applications can be made using the online form on the early years page. General enquiries go to office@watervilleprimary.org.uk or 0191 6918500. The school is on Waterville Road, North Shields.