Thornton Watlass Church of England Primary School Nursery

Teacher-led provision for three-year-olds, with the nursery day based at Snape: that is the practical starting point for families considering Thornton Watlass Church of England Primary School’s nursery. Thornton Watlass shares a federation with Snape Community Primary School, so the nursery’s location matters when planning the journey.

Early years provision received a Good judgement at the Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 March 2023. This was an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Two three-hour sessions frame the day. Morning runs from 8:45am to 11:45am, lunch occupies 11:45am to 12:20pm, and the afternoon runs from 12:20pm to 3:20pm. Those distinct blocks give parents clear times around which to plan collection.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning to communicate, move and manage relationships with early reading, number, creative work and understanding the world. Development Matters guides planning. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds supplies the approach to phonics and early reading, while Numberblocks connects number learning with ideas such as shape, money and time. For children, number is linked to things they can use and recognise.

In March 2023, mathematical learning included measuring during construction play and paying for pretend purchases in the role-play area. These are concrete ways to practise number through activity. The early years curriculum also took account of children’s experiences and the schools’ context.

Outdoor experiences extend beyond the classroom. Sunflowers, the EYFS and Year 1 group, has taken part in Coastal School, exploring rockpools and discovering sea creatures, including a starfish. That example brings learning about the natural world into direct contact with its subject.

Knowing the individual child was a clear feature of the early years teaching in March 2023. Adults in the then mixed Nursery, Reception and Year 1 class understood children’s learning needs and what they should tackle next. Children in early years also played together cooperatively, giving a concrete picture of their social learning.

Support for special educational needs and disabilities has a defined structure across the federation. Children receiving SEND provision have an Individual SEN Support Plan, with progress reviewed six times during the academic year, twice each term. Parents and carers participate in monitoring progress, alongside staff and outside agencies where appropriate. This gives families repeated opportunities to contribute to support.

When needed, the federation can request help from the Specialist Teaching Team, Learning Support Service or speech and language therapists. Teaching assistants support children inside and outside classrooms; specialist programmes can be delivered individually or in small groups.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. North Yorkshire Council manages school admissions, with applications made through its online school admissions form. A nursery place and a school place therefore need separate planning.

Visits can be arranged through the school office by calling 01677 422685 or 01677 470380, or emailing admin@stw.n-yorks.sch.uk. An appointment lets families meet the team and see the learning approach before deciding whether this teacher-led provision suits their child.

For enquiries about SEND support, the federation’s coordinator can be contacted at sendco@stw.n-yorks.sch.uk.