St Peter's Church of England Primary School Nursery

Bus drivers, firefighters and homemade buses give this nursery's learning a concrete starting point. At St Peter's Church of England Primary School on Muriel Street in Rochdale, the Real Life Superheroes topic connects stories with role play, making things and discovering what people do for work. Children have dedicated learning facilities inside and outdoors.

This is the school's own nursery, with a nursery teacher and staff team. Its Church of England identity also shapes the learning: the nursery's creation topic explores the world, families and the people who help children. Ofsted's inspection on 30 November and 1 December 2022 found that children in the early years were thriving alongside older pupils.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) gives learning its shape. Staff track children's development across seven areas, combining communication, movement and social development with early reading, maths, creative work and understanding the world. For parents, that means learning extends beyond letters and numbers to how children express themselves, relate to others and use their bodies.

Real Life Superheroes begins with I'm the Bus Driver. Children explore the vehicle's parts and the jobs involved before a bus can set off, then paint and construct buses and act out the driver's role. Talking about jobs they might like to do brings their own ideas into the topic. A planned visit to Rochdale Fire Engine museum extends that exploration to firefighters.

Stories and nursery rhymes sit alongside counting objects, recognising numbers and counting in both directions. Children also attend to initial word sounds and practise writing them. These are specific activities families can repeat at home. A library book goes home each week, giving parents a regular starting point for shared reading.

Christian learning has a practical, creative expression too. In How God Created the World, children use instruments to retell the creation story. Thinking about their families and familiar helpers connects the topic with relationships they already understand.

Nursery staff are available for parents to speak to with questions. Progress monitoring follows the EYFS, so conversations can focus on a child's development as well as the activities they have been doing.

For additional needs, the school's SENCO can be contacted through the office. Across the school, support uses the Three Waves of Provision approach, and termly parent gatherings bring in professionals to answer families' questions. This provides a route for discussing support rather than leaving parents to identify the right contact themselves. The school's Resurrection Mindset approach also sets out aims around kindness, confidence and resilience.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Rochdale Local Authority coordinates the school's admissions, with applications directed through Rochdale Borough Council's school admissions service. Treat that application as a separate step from choosing and joining the nursery.

Nursery applications go directly to the school office. Contact 01706 648195 or office@stpetersce.rochdale.sch.uk to apply. The school is on Muriel Street, Rochdale, OL16 5JQ. Its Term Dates page links to the School Calendar 2026-27, a useful reference for planning the family diary.