St Leo's and Southmead Nursery Review

Bikes outside, a book corner inside and plenty of time for children to choose their own projects: play shapes nursery life at St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community, on Lickers Lane in Whiston. This is the school's own nursery, within its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Independence is part of the daily learning, alongside sharing and taking turns.

The EYFS brings learning and development together through play, conversation and activity. Development Matters guides the curriculum here. Children combine activities directed by adults with projects they choose themselves, giving them opportunities to practise concentrating as well as making decisions.

Indoors, painting and collage sit alongside practical games and role play. The book corner gives reading a physical place in the room. Outside, children can explore water and sand or use cars and bikes in the outdoor classroom. These are different ways to practise movement, language and imaginative play within the same curriculum.

Read, Write, Inc. begins in the nursery's summer term. Earlier literacy experiences include storytelling, drawing and making marks during play, so reading preparation reaches beyond formal phonics activities. At the inspection on 21 and 22 March 2023, Ofsted described early-years children enjoying songs and stories, participating actively in books and wanting to learn outside. The same inspection raised a school-level concern about some struggling readers not catching up quickly enough despite staff support; it did not identify this as a nursery-specific weakness.

Home-Link books, Dojo and EYFS Echo newsletters connect parents with learning. These provide several routes for families to stay involved, rather than relying on a single channel of communication.

For a nursery child identified with special educational needs, support can include a Play Plan with targets linked to their needs. The school's SEND arrangements involve parents in reviewing provision, and referrals to Speech and Language Therapy require parental consent. Families can begin a discussion about developmental concerns with the class teacher, then involve the SENCO if further discussion is needed.

Medical needs have their own process: a Care Plan is developed with parents and the school nurse, then shared with staff working with the child. Physical access includes a ramp to the nursery door. The school Inclusion Team brings together safeguarding leadership, the learning mentor and the SENDCO, giving families an office contact route for concerns.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process by the deadline for their child's intake.

The 2024/2025 admission arrangements used local-authority applications and did not include nursery attendance among the oversubscription criteria. That position belongs to that admissions cycle. A supplementary form was also required for consideration under faith criteria.

Transition support is a separate matter. The school's SEND information describes time with the next class teacher and additional visits for children needing more preparation. Familiarity helps children prepare for a change of class; it does not secure admission.

The school office can be reached on 0151 477 8410, and the nursery shares the school's Lickers Lane address in Whiston, L35 3SR. Visits can be arranged by contacting the school for an appointment, subject to its visitor restrictions.