Ings Farm Primary School Nursery

Outdoor learning is part of the classroom arrangement at Ings Farm: nursery children have continuous access to an outdoor area designed for the early years. That gives the provision a practical point of character, with learning able to extend beyond the room.

Based at Ings Farm Primary School on Stirling Road in Redcar, the nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds. Its admission limit is 91 pupils, calculated on places of 15 hours a week, rather than a count of children attending together. In January 2024, Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good. This judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Communication and language provide the starting point for learning. In January 2024, adults understood what individual nursery children could already do and used that understanding to develop the language foundations needed for later phonics teaching. The emphasis is on building the skills that come before learning to read. Children were engaged in their learning.

Practical activities give those foundations something concrete to work with. Nursery design and technology includes baking by following simple steps, threading, joining construction pieces and building dens with adult help. Children also discuss their models and add to them with support. These tasks bring together making, choosing materials and explaining ideas, rather than treating learning as something confined to paper.

Geography begins with familiar surroundings: children consider where they live and notice differences in weather, temperature and seasons. They also explore other countries and use simple maps in imaginary play. Computing introduces the purpose of everyday technology, while an interactive whiteboard supports drawing and making marks. The classroom's continuous connection to the early years outdoor area gives indoor and outdoor learning a direct link.

Nursery staffing includes teachers and teaching assistants, with the school's SEND Lead also teaching in the nursery. In January 2024, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made a strong beginning here. That is a nursery-specific strength, supported by the adults' understanding of children's individual starting points.

Starting nursery may be phased across the beginning of an eligible child's first term. Families receive a confirmed start date, and all newly eligible children are to be attending within eight weeks of the term beginning. This matters when planning the first weeks of childcare. Being partly toilet trained is not a reason to refuse an eligible child a place.

For children on the school's SEND register, parents are invited to termly discussions about support. The school uses Assess, Plan, Do, Review to organise that support, involving families in decisions and revisiting what is helping. School events are communicated through the Arbor App's Parent Portal, with office assistance for parents who need help setting it up.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Parents must make a separate application to the local authority if they want their child to continue at Ings Farm. Full-time school places are allocated against the local authority's admission criteria. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions, and submit the Reception application by the applicable deadline.

The funded pattern is three hours each day across five days: mornings run from 8:15am to 11:15am, while afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. This is a regular session arrangement, so families need to plan around the relevant collection time.

Funding eligibility begins in the term after a child's third birthday. Requests for a different arrangement of the entitlement will be considered, but flexibility is conditional on the school being able to accommodate it. Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 01642 485369 or office@ingsfarmprimary.co.uk.