Whittaker Moss Primary School Nursery

Songs, story play and a mini-beast hotel give Whittaker Moss Nursery its character: an early start to school life built around things young children can hear, handle and explore. The nursery takes children aged three and above within Whittaker Moss Primary School at Highwood, Rochdale. Its school setting includes a single-storey building with an open-plan design.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good following its inspection on 8 and 9 November 2023. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Listening comes before decoding words. In November 2023, nursery children were learning to distinguish sounds through singing and rhymes. For a parent, this gives a concrete picture of early reading preparation: children practise hearing differences in sounds through familiar, repeatable activities.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) takes practical form in the activities described in November 2023. Children measured porridge for a Three Bears activity, chose resources independently and talked enthusiastically about their play. A puppet performance involved sharing equipment and deciding who would take each role. These examples bring together early measuring, conversation and cooperation. Learning involves doing things together as well as choosing things for oneself.

Named nursery topics include Me and My Community, Once Upon a Time and Dangerous Dinosaurs. Sunshine and Sunflowers and Big Wide World also appear in the nursery curriculum information. The topic newsletters give families a starting point for conversations about learning at home.

Outside, the nursery's mini-beast areas and hotels provide a physical focus for exploring living things. They are intended to attract insects and other animals into the grounds, bringing the natural world into the children's school setting.

Settling was a strength of early years in November 2023. Support from staff helped children become comfortable quickly and grow in confidence. The cooperative puppet play described above gives that finding a practical dimension: children were able to share materials and organise an activity together.

Tapestry, the online learning journal used in early years, also carries nursery welcome videos. Families can view these videos by logging into Tapestry. In November 2023, early years parents could spend the opening ten minutes of each day reading alongside their children, connecting home involvement with classroom learning.

For additional needs, the school's inclusion hub provides personalised timetables and curricula, emotional support, help with speech and language, and sensory regulation. Families can also access SEND and speech-and-language information about Rochdale services through the school's information padlets.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the Schools Admissions section of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council's website, following the normal application deadline.

Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions. Familiarity with school life does not secure admission. The school's Transition page links to a Starting-Reception document for families preparing for that next step; preparation and the allocation of a school place remain separate matters.

A nursery application form is accessible through the school's Virtual Office. Nursery entry is in September before a child's fourth birthday. For enquiries, contact the office on 01706 342342 or at office@whittakermoss.rochdale.sch.uk.

Nursery children are exempt from the school's compulsory uniform rule. That gives families flexibility over clothing for this stage. The nursery curriculum page also links to topic newsletters, while Tapestry provides access to the welcome videos.