Coppice Primary Academy Nursery Review

Story choices, daily vocabulary teaching and outdoor forest fun give Coppice’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own provision on Burlington Avenue in Oldham, with capacity for up to 78 places, split into up to 39 morning and 39 afternoon places. These are session capacities, rather than a count of children currently attending.

September entry is for children who turn three on or before 31 August that year. The nursery aims to prepare children for school through learning that gives their interests a say.

Three-hour sessions provide the basic rhythm. Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), learning brings together language, physical development and managing feelings and friendships. Stories, conversation and role play help children practise expressing ideas; learning to take turns and handle disagreements is part of the work too.

Children vote on the day’s story, while adults introduce vocabulary and build conversation around play. Language support includes BLAST and WELLCOMM, with first-language help where possible. Bangla, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu are among the languages supported within school. That gives children another way to check their understanding while developing English.

Physical preparation for writing includes dough disco, squiggle while you wiggle and opportunities to make marks across the learning areas. Outdoors, forest school and forest fun sessions combine communication with problem-solving. Equipment and outdoor challenges give children reasons to discuss ideas and work things out together.

In November 2024, Ofsted identified nursery learning that prepares children for phonics. Writing foundations. The same inspection required clearer identification of the earliest writing knowledge, including in early years, and more consistent staff practice in handwriting and spelling. Families should weigh that concern alongside the planned activities for developing hand control.

Settling starts before the first regular session. Children are expected to attend a getting-to-know-you session, and a home visit normally helps staff plan their start. Stay and play, summer transition sessions and a phased intake provide further opportunities to become familiar with people and routines.

A visual timetable shows children the order of the day. Parents meet staff each term, and See-saw lets families exchange children’s work, comments, photographs and videos. Workshops include toilet training and behaviour as well as learning. Nursery families may also be invited into the REAL project (Raising Achievement in Early Literacy), which supplies resources and ideas for home activities and includes local outings.

For children with SEND, individual plans are reviewed termly with parents. Teachers receive internal SEND training, and external support can include speech and language therapists and the Early Years Special Needs Service. The school building has one storey, ramps at every door, accessible toilets and accessible parking, useful practical features for families with mobility needs.

Children staying at lunchtime can bring food from home or have a purchased school meal. Families may instead take their child home during the lunch period.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Oldham Council if they live in Oldham, or through their home local authority if they live elsewhere.

For September 2026 entry, children attending Coppice’s nursery at application time had third priority in the oversubscription order, after looked-after and previously looked-after children and children with a sibling at school. That was priority, not an assured offer. The application deadline for that cycle was 15 January, or the next working day.

Transition support has a separate purpose: summer mornings or afternoons introduce children to their new teachers, and parents meet staff to discuss the next stage. Familiarity helps prepare the child; it does not replace the application.

Morning nursery runs from 8:30 to 11:30; afternoons run from 12:15 to 15:15. The usual pattern is five sessions of three hours, with some flexibility, such as 2.5 full days. A requested morning or afternoon place cannot always be accommodated.

The nursery is organised around the 15-hour funded entitlement for three-year-olds. Thirty-hour sessions may be offered to eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds, subject to approval. Where a funded full-day place is accepted, the additional lunchtime hour is charged separately because it falls outside educational provision. Paid additional half-day places may also be possible, and breakfast club is available to nursery children for a charge. Contact the school for current charges.

Enquiries go through the school office on 0161 770 3543 or coppice@focus-trust.co.uk. Use Coppice’s own holiday pattern when planning childcare, rather than Oldham Council’s dates.