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Nursery at St Joseph's RC Junior, Infant and Nursery School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, shared lunches and Catholic school life shape this nursery in Shaw. Children belong to the wider St Joseph's school community, joining celebrations and eating alongside children from other classes. The nursery describes its approach as grounded in Gospel values, including compassion and forgiveness. Faith is part of the everyday setting.
This is the school's own nursery class on Oldham Road. It also accepts Rising 3s when space permits. Its character combines learning through play with participation in school life: Christmas productions, assemblies and worship give children experiences beyond their classroom.
Building and making bring practical detail to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Nursery children construct with mobilo and duplo, practise cutting paper with adult support and use spoons and knives in supported food activities. Later work includes greater independence with scissors. These are concrete opportunities to handle tools and materials, rather than simply watch an adult demonstrate.
Outside, children make large constructions, experimenting with stacking across and upwards. Environmental learning includes seasons, forests and rivers. Within Understanding the World, the early years approach involves observing the surrounding community, with planned activities adapting to children's questions and interests. Familiar surroundings become material for discussion and discovery.
Baking appears repeatedly in the nursery science programme, alongside noticing change and identifying living things. Children are encouraged to talk about their experiences, ask questions and care for plants and animals. Family customs and celebrations also feature in nursery learning, connecting classroom topics with children's lives at home.
Books are shared daily in the Foundation Stage, both with groups and the whole class. Children discuss pictures, listen to environmental sounds and explore sounds made with instruments and their bodies. A rhyme each week adds another opportunity to listen and join in. Nursery music sits within Expressive Arts and Design, linking sound exploration with the wider early years curriculum.
Starting nursery is treated as a significant change for children and families. The nursery says its staff help both through that transition. Shared lunches offer another point of connection: nursery children eat food prepared in the school kitchen and spend mealtimes with children from other classes.
For dietary needs, vegetarian, cultural and special diets can be accommodated on request. Parents should ask about ingredients where allergies or intolerances are involved. The school also has a SENDCO and links families with Oldham Council's Local Offer, providing a route into discussions about additional support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application online through Oldham Council and complete the school's supplementary form separately for nursery and Reception. Joining the nursery is therefore a decision about the early years experience; the Reception application remains a further step.
Participation in school assemblies, meals and celebrations gives nursery children familiarity with wider school life. That shared experience is distinct from the process of allocating Reception places.
For families using the 30-hour funded entitlement, attendance covered by funding runs from 09:30 to 15:30. The longer nursery day runs from 08:50 to 15:30; its additional time attracts a charge because it falls outside that entitlement. Full-time nursery provision amounts to 32.5 hours per week. Funded part-time provision of 15 hours is also offered. Families without eligibility for government-subsidised childcare can pay privately. Contact the office for current charges, including lunch.
Wraparound care operates during term time, with morning care from 07:30 to 09:00 and afternoon care from 15:30 to 17:45. The Child Care Club uses the parish hall opposite the school. Club staff take children to their classroom doors and collect them from classrooms, making the handover part of the arrangement.
Visits can be arranged through the school office on working days. For enquiries or a visit, call 01706 847 218 or email info@st-josephs.oldham.sch.uk.
No. Reception requires a separate online application through Oldham Council, plus a supplementary form completed separately from the nursery application.
For families using that entitlement, funded attendance runs from 09:30 to 15:30. The longer day starts at 08:50, with a charge for the additional time.
Yes. During term time, the Child Care Club runs from 07:30 to 09:00 and from 15:30 to 17:45 in the parish hall opposite school. Staff handle classroom drop-off and collection.
Yes. Nursery children eat lunch prepared in the school kitchen. Lunch is charged separately; contact the office for current charges. Vegetarian, cultural and special dietary needs can be catered for on request.
Yes. Contact the school office to arrange a visit on a working day: 01706 847 218 or info@st-josephs.oldham.sch.uk.
