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Nursery at Moorhouse 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Clay, colour mixing and listening games give Moorhouse Academy’s nursery a practical character. Children explore materials, make things and begin to distinguish sounds, with learning rooted in the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This is the nursery within Moorhouse Academy on Crossley Street in Milnrow.
Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 17 and 18 October 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.
Learning starts with things children can hear, handle and investigate. The EYFS curriculum uses Development Matters, bringing physical, emotional and social development together with educational learning. For parents, that means preparation for school includes how children communicate and manage themselves as well as what they know.
Letters and Sounds phase 1 introduces listening and distinguishing environmental sounds. Staff also use Fred Talk, breaking spoken words into their sounds. Read Write Inc follows in the summer term. Stories, songs and rhymes were part of nursery sound learning in October 2023, giving children an introduction to reading through familiar spoken language.
Making is another substantial strand. Nursery art includes self-portraits, leaf pictures, clay exploration and mixing colours. Observational drawing takes place fortnightly across EYFS. In design technology, children build with discarded materials, try threading and weaving through an Easter project, and join materials for collage. These activities give small hands different ways to shape, connect and represent ideas.
Sing Up Music brings named nursery themes including Animal tea party and Travel and movement. Geography begins with questions about the school, fallen leaves, nearby creatures and local litter. Familiar surroundings become something to investigate. In October 2023, early years children were making sensible choices about which activities to tackle, an important part of learning to act independently.
Settling involves collaboration between staff and parents. For children with SEND, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator supports transition planning. Coffee mornings and workshops give families opportunities to discuss concerns, alongside conversations with the coordinator or class teacher.
Tapestry connects home and early years learning through photographs and videos. Parents can respond to observations and contribute examples from home, helping staff understand a child’s development across both settings.
Support begins with understanding individual needs. When a child has identified SEND before joining, staff work with people who already know them. School adaptations include individual visual timetables and quieter work spaces; additional support is reviewed through an Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. This gives families a process for discussing difficulties and agreeing next steps.
Food also enters learning: EYFS activities include tasting, healthy eating and preparing food safely. These are curriculum experiences rather than a description of lunch arrangements.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Rochdale’s online admissions route and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year. Treat that application as a separate task from choosing nursery.
Transition support is a different matter. End-of-year meetings transfer information between classes, with more detailed planning for children with SEND. Additional visits and transition materials before the summer holiday help those children prepare for the move. Familiarity and preparation support the change of class; they do not secure admission.
For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 01706 642742 or email office@moorhouseacademy.co.uk. School visits can be arranged by appointment, offering an opportunity to discuss your child with staff.
An open event on 12 October 2026, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, welcomes families whose children will start nursery or Reception in 2027. It offers a dated opportunity to explore the setting before making a choice.
No. Families need to make a separate Reception application through Rochdale’s online admissions route.
Children begin with Letters and Sounds phase 1, listening to environmental sounds. Staff use Fred Talk, and Read Write Inc is introduced in the summer term.
Nursery activities include clay exploration, colour mixing, self-portraits, junk modelling, threading, weaving and collage.
Tapestry allows parents to respond to photographs and videos of early years learning and add their own observations from home.
School visits are available by appointment. The open event on 12 October 2026 runs from 1:30pm to 4:30pm for families starting nursery or Reception in 2027.
