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Nursery at Pickering Community Infant 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Puppet workshops, theatre visitors and outings such as Dalby Forest give this nursery a character beyond its classroom timetable. Pickering Community Infant School’s own nursery, on Ruffa Lane, takes children from age three and has 52 nursery places. It is distinct from Pickering Preschool, the separate private provider sharing the school site.
There is an important qualification to the picture. At Ofsted’s inspection on 9 and 10 July 2024, early years provision was judged Requires improvement. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Families can combine morning, lunchtime and afternoon sessions, or choose full days. That gives parents a choice between shorter sessions and a day including lunch, rather than a single attendance pattern.
The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage 2024 Framework. Its aims include helping children communicate, make decisions and develop independence. Named teaching approaches give those aims substance: phonics uses Bug Club Phonics, while Foundation Stage mathematics follows small learning steps developed with Yorkshire Riding Maths Hub. Sing Up supports music in the Foundation Stage, with Nursery Rhyme Week among the associated activities. Weekly personal, social and emotional development teaching addresses friendships, families and staying safe.
Visits into the local community sit alongside visiting theatre companies and puppet workshops. Children also have at least one outing each year involving a coach or minibus, with Dalby Forest an example. These experiences take learning beyond classroom activities.
In July 2024, children in early years progressed rapidly in reading, but the wider curriculum was delivered unevenly. Adults missed chances to extend children’s learning through conversation, and children’s understanding of routines needed further development. Outcomes at the end of early years were too low. Preparation for the next stage was insufficient for some children. Improving staff training and making curriculum delivery consistent were required actions. For parents, everyday adult interaction and routines deserve as much attention as the named programmes.
Tapestry lets nursery families both see and contribute to their child’s learning journal, making communication about learning a two-way exchange. Across classrooms, visual timetables use symbols, and a calming area contains sensory items and fiddle toys. These are concrete adjustments for children who need help anticipating the day or managing stimulation.
Additional support begins with classroom adjustments. Where more help is needed, an All About Me Document can bring families and staff together around individual targets; reviews take place termly. Specialist involvement can follow, with parental consent for a formal referral.
Food is built into both sessions: morning and afternoon snacks include vegetables and fruit, such as chopped carrot, apple and pear. Families may provide a packed lunch following the school’s guidelines or choose a charged hot lunch. Snack contributions are voluntary.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admission process. During the autumn term, nursery parents receive a letter from Harrogate Education Office prompting online registration for their preferred school; the school can help with registration.
Summer story sessions bring nursery children together with children joining Reception from elsewhere, helping future classmates and staff become familiar. This is preparation for the change, not an admissions advantage.
Morning nursery runs from 8.45am to 11.45am, lunch from 11.45am to 12.30pm, and afternoon nursery from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Days and sessions can be combined. Breakfast and after-school clubs accept regular or occasional bookings.
All three-year-olds qualify for 15 funded hours; eligible families can access 30 through Extended Entitlement. Funded sessions operate between 8.45am and 3.30pm for 38 term-time weeks. Apart from an optional hot lunch, funded hours carry no additional school fees. Voluntary snack contributions are requested separately, and Friends of School fundraising supports visits and visitors. Contact the school for current charges for paid hours and meals.
For nursery enquiries, call 01751 472620 or email admin@pickering-inf.n-yorks.sch.uk. A telephone enquiry can lead to a school tour, giving families a practical opportunity to discuss their preferred session pattern.
The nursery accepts children from age three. September places are offered to children who turned three before 1 September; an additional January intake is available for children turning three in the autumn term, subject to places.
Yes. Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Families can combine days and sessions or choose full days.
Yes. All three-year-olds qualify for 15 hours, with 30 available to eligible families through Extended Entitlement. Funding covers 38 term-time weeks, within the 8.45am to 3.30pm session window.
Children receive morning and afternoon snacks. Families can send a packed lunch following school guidelines or pay for a hot lunch. Contributions towards snacks are voluntary.
No. Reception requires a separate application. Nursery parents receive an autumn-term letter from Harrogate Education Office asking them to register online for their preferred school.
