Thorpe Primary Academy Nursery Review

Play, effort and early reading give Thorpe’s nursery its character. The on-site provision at Thorpe Primary Academy caters for children aged 3+, with capacity for 52 part-time children. It sits within the school in Netherton, Peterborough, making this an introduction to school life rather than a separate childcare setting.

The school aims to make children’s first experiences positive and meaningful. Its early-years approach recognises different interests, strengths and starting points, with learning adapted to the children in each cohort. Ofsted judged early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022. That judgement covers the school’s early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach connects children’s interests with the first skills and knowledge they will build on later. Thorpe adapts topics to what interests each group. For parents, that means an approach intended to respond to the children, with foundational learning woven into their play.

Effort receives recognition alongside the finished result. Adults use consistent encouragement around the school rules, Ready, Respectful and Safe, and help children persist with challenges. The emphasis is on trying again: learning includes the process of tackling something difficult, rather than simply getting it right.

Early literacy has concrete routines. Nursery children learn printed letter formation through Letterjoin, giving them a starting point for handwriting. Early-years children also use a Reading Record to log reading each week, and children have access to books in classroom libraries and the main school library. This gives families a practical connection between books at school and reading at home.

In September 2022, early-years children were being prepared to start learning the sounds needed for accurate word reading. Reading therefore has a place from the beginning, alongside play and the development of broader skills. Across the school, the September 2022 inspection found that a small number of lessons needed better opportunities to practise earlier learning, as some pupils struggled to remember and apply it.

Thorpe aims for early-years classrooms where children feel secure and comfortable with adults. Recognition extends to the effort children put into play and learning, supporting the school’s intention to encourage perseverance.

For additional needs, the school has a SENCo who manages support for identified pupils with SEND; families can make contact through the office. The school aims to work with parents around individual needs. Complex needs. In September 2022, a school-wide improvement priority was more precise support planning and further staff training for a small group with complex SEND. Families considering the nursery should discuss how their child’s individual support would work.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the normal admissions process, which Peterborough Local Authority manages for Thorpe. Choosing the nursery and obtaining a school place are separate decisions; plan for the Reception application as well as the nursery start.

The nursery waiting-list route uses a QR code. The school contacts families in the term before their intended start, depending on places becoming available, and arranges a visit. This gives families an opportunity to meet the provision before their child starts.

For the September 2025 intake, the nursery offered funded places covering 15 or 30 hours. That was a past intake announcement. Nursery enquiries can be directed to the school office on 01733 264340.