Lakes Primary School Nursery Review

Counting through play, stories within easy reach and developing forest school experiences give Lakes’ nursery its character. This is the early years provision within Lakes Primary School on West Dyke Road, Redcar, with a provision for two-year-olds working alongside the nursery team. The younger children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), too: learning and development begin before formal school lessons.

For families, the distinction is practical. The two-year-old provision offers morning-only or afternoon-only paid places, alongside free places for children offered Golden tickets. Nursery places come in 15-hour and 30-hour patterns. These are different arrangements to weigh against a child’s age and the family’s childcare needs.

Play shapes the learning. The EYFS brings together language, physical development, social skills, early literacy and maths, alongside creative activity and exploration of the world. Lakes combines activities guided by adults with play children choose themselves. Its planning follows children’s interests while retaining a sequence of knowledge and skills, so a fascination can shape an activity rather than replace its learning purpose.

Early Excellence informs the resources children can keep returning to during play. They are open-ended, allowing different uses as interests develop. Outside, children practise coordination, balance and strength; exploration also extends to the school grounds and local area. Forest school experiences are developing within nursery, adding opportunities to explore nature.

Stories have a visible place in the room. Books from the EYFS Reading Spine are displayed for independent use as well as brought into story sessions and related activities. Songs and rhymes build vocabulary. Under Read Write Inc, nursery children work on Phase 1 skills, including oral blending: hearing separate sounds and joining them into a word.

Maths is equally tangible. Games, songs and objects to handle help children explore counting, with attention to counting an object once. Writing begins through purposeful marks within play, supported by adults. Busy Books hold adult-directed work, while Floor Books and displays help children revisit experiences and talk about their learning.

Evidence Me shares children’s learning with parents through an online journal; the two-year-old team also uses it to capture experiences and track development. Visual timetables in classrooms help children anticipate the session’s routine and prepare for changes. These give families and children different ways to understand what happens during the day.

In November 2022, Ofsted found that early years staff understood children’s development and identified the support they needed, including extra activities to strengthen the muscles used for writing. Routines were understood in the early years at that inspection, providing a predictable structure for children.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), support planning involves parents. SEN Support Plans are reviewed with families each term, and permission is sought before specialist referrals. Resources can include visual timetables, objects of reference and wobble cushions according to need. Across the school, buildings are accessible to children with physical disabilities; the KS1 building has an accessible toilet and changing facilities.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline. Treat that application as a separate decision from choosing nursery.

For children with SEND moving between classes, information and support plans pass to the new teacher, with a meeting arranged. A book explaining the move can be made where it would help the child. This supports continuity of care; it does not secure admission.

Morning nursery sessions begin at 8.30am or 8.45am and end between 11.15am and 11.30am. Afternoon sessions start at 12.15pm or 12.30pm, finishing between 3.15pm and 3.30pm. The alternatives matter when matching nursery to work or another child’s collection time.

Enquiries go through the school office on 01642 485894 or office@lakesprimary.co.uk. Visits to the school can also be arranged through the office. For SEND concerns, families can contact the SENCo through the office or use SENDCo@LakesPrimary.co.uk.