Westgate Primary School Nursery Review

Three-hour sessions, lunch from the school kitchen and access to WOOSH give Westgate's nursery a practical shape for family life. This is the Nursery class within Westgate Primary School in Otley, on Scarborough Road. Children can join from the term following their third birthday if a place is available.

Parents can select from ten sessions lasting three hours each, with places and attendance patterns offered under the Nursery Admissions policy. For families combining nursery education with care before or after school, WOOSH is an additional option to consider alongside those sessions.

Outdoor water trays provide a concrete picture of learning here. At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted described nursery children investigating ice that had formed overnight, with adults using warm water and salt to explore how it melted. A change in the weather became something children could investigate for themselves.

The early years curriculum connects that practical discovery with early mathematical learning. Children had repeated opportunities to explore basic mathematical ideas, while activities were planned to capture their interest. In parent terms, the early years foundation stage here includes learning through investigation as well as developing early number understanding. The melting activity shows how adults can turn children's curiosity into a focused learning experience.

Indoors, the school's Foundation Stage spaces include the Blue Room, Big Room and Conservatory Book Corner. These are named spaces within the early years environment. At the December 2023 inspection, adults also used songs and rhymes to help nursery children put on coats and gloves, giving familiar cues to an ordinary task.

In December 2023, early years children settled successfully, supported by established routines and close relationships with adults. That matters for a young child learning how a school session works: familiar routines give the day a recognisable structure.

For children staying through lunch, a hot meal with two courses is prepared in the school's kitchen. Lunch carries a separate charge, so families planning attendance over midday should include it in their arrangements.

Support sits within the school's wider SEND structure, which includes a SENCo and a lead autism practitioner. The SENCo can be contacted through the office, giving families a route for discussing additional needs.

Adult support. The December 2023 inspection also identified uneven deployment of adults in some parts of the school, affecting learning and behaviour for some pupils. This was a school-wide improvement point, rather than a nursery-specific finding; families should keep that scope in mind alongside the positive early years findings.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate Reception application through the normal local authority process and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. Apply through your home local authority; for Leeds families, the route is www.leeds.gov.uk/apply.

Leeds City Council is the school's admission authority and sets its admission policy annually. Treat the nursery choice and the later Reception application as separate decisions when planning your child's next step.

Parents can select from ten sessions across the week, each lasting three hours. Attendance patterns and places are allocated under the Nursery Admissions policy. Up to 30 funded hours are offered where parents qualify; additional paid hours depend on availability. Contact the school for current charges.

The nursery waiting-list form can be completed online at any time. For enquiries, call the office on 01943 462349. Changes to collection, meals or WOOSH that need a prompt response should be made by telephone, leaving a voicemail, rather than through the contact form.