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Nursery at St Giles C of E Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.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 leads the learning at St Giles, with children choosing their own explorations alongside activities guided by adults. This is the nursery within St Giles C of E Academy on Skinner Lane in Pontefract, where children can start in the term following their third birthday. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside wraparound groups and a 30-hour option with top-up care.
The school aims to give children a secure start within a Christian setting. Its early years approach treats families as partners, bringing parents into discussions about both their child’s development and the learning taking place.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines play with planned learning across seven areas. Development Matters guides the curriculum, while topics connect new experiences with things children already know. Adults lead some activities; children also learn alongside them and pursue ideas independently. That gives a session room for both direction and discovery.
Making things provides concrete examples. Children investigate construction kits, experiment with connecting and shaping materials, and talk through their designs. Art activities involve exploring texture and colour, choosing materials and practising with simple tools. These experiences connect practical skills with opportunities to explain an idea, change it and try again.
Mathematics has a daily focused teaching activity, followed by opportunities to use what has been learnt. White Rose Maths and the NCETM Mastering Number Programme support early number learning. Counting the children present brings mathematics into ordinary routines, while activities in indoor and outdoor learning areas provide further practice. Numbers become something children use, rather than encounter only in a separate task.
Staff observe children during both independent play and adult-directed activities. Photographs, Dojo portfolios and a floor book capture learning, and observations help shape what each child tackles next. Parents’ comments also contribute to assessments, giving home experiences a place in that picture.
Settling into school life is an explicit aim of the early years team, which seeks to help children and families feel secure and valued. Parents are invited into school periodically to discuss progress and the curriculum. This creates opportunities to talk about the child as well as the activities.
For children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), teachers raise concerns with the SEND coordinator, who arranges a discussion with parents. Adding a child to the SEND Register requires parental permission. The school office provides a route to the coordinator and safeguarding team.
Food is part of the additional care offer. Breakfast Club serves options such as bagels, cereal or toast with fruit juice in the school dining hall. After School Club provides juice and a healthy snack. School lunches are cooked fresh on site, with Kirklees Catering Services supplying ingredients and managing menus. Meals are ordered through ParentPay.
A nursery place does not guarantee admission to Reception. Families must make a separate application through Wakefield Local Authority and meet the deadline for their entry year. For September 2026 entry, the application window closed on 15 January 2026. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.
Morning nursery runs from 8:30am to 11:30am; the afternoon session runs from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. The funded entitlement for all children aged three to four is 570 hours annually, usually arranged as 15 weekly hours across 38 weeks, beginning in the term after the third birthday. Some children qualify for 30 weekly funded hours. Depending on the attendance pattern, lunchtime wraparound care can incur an additional charge; contact the school for current charges.
Nursery children can attend Breakfast Club and After School Club on weekdays during term time. Breakfast care begins at 7:50am, with food service finishing at 8:20am. Booking and payment through ParentPay must be completed before midnight Thursday in the week before attendance. After-school care ends at 4:30pm, with collection at the school office doors; bookings require payment seven days ahead.
For nursery enquiries, contact the office on 01977 794179 or office@stgiles.enhanceacad.org.uk. Nursery wraparound payments also use ParentPay, with account activation arranged through school.
Children can start in the term after their third birthday.
The morning session is 8:30am to 11:30am, and the afternoon session is 12:15pm to 3:15pm.
No. A separate Reception application is required through Wakefield Local Authority, by the deadline for the relevant entry year.
Yes. Both clubs accept nursery children on weekdays during term time. Breakfast Club starts at 7:50am, and After School Club finishes at 4:30pm. Advance booking and payment are required through ParentPay.
Yes. Lunchtime wraparound care may carry an additional charge depending on the attendance pattern. The nursery also offers 30 hours with top-up care. Contact the school for current charges.
