Castle View Primary School Nursery

Rhymes, songs and an adventure with cars inspired by Albert give Castle View’s nursery its character: early learning built around sounds, stories and play. This is the nursery within Castle View Primary School in Halton Brook, Runcorn. Its nursery blog includes music and gross motor skills alongside the car adventure, giving parents concrete examples of children’s activities.

At the inspection of 15 and 16 November 2022, Ofsted judged early years provision Good. Nursery and Reception occupied a combined classroom at that time, placing nursery children within a shared early years space. That is a dated picture of the physical arrangement, rather than a promise about admission to the next class.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework. For a parent, the clearest examples here are learning through sound, communication and play. In November 2022, children practised rhymes and songs and took part in activities that developed their recognition of different sounds. These give young children ways to listen closely before tackling the demands of reading.

Playing beside friends was another feature of early years life in November 2022. Children enjoyed exploring the world around them. The nursery’s car adventure linked to Albert adds a specific example of a story extending into play; music and gross motor activities also appear in its blog. Together, these examples show learning reaching beyond seated tasks.

Curriculum sequencing. In November 2022, some subjects, including within early years, needed a clearer definition of the essential knowledge children should learn. This made it harder for teaching to build on earlier learning and for staff to assess understanding. It is a material qualification to the positive early years judgement.

Settling into routines was a strength of early years provision in November 2022: children adjusted readily to school life and picked up routines promptly. For families facing a first experience of school, that finding offers reassurance about the daily adjustment.

For children with SEND, the school describes classroom adjustments to teaching methods, resources and work. Teachers, support staff and the SENDCo work with families and outside agencies, with different approaches used where children need them. Parents can raise concerns first with the class teacher, giving them a direct starting point for discussing progress and support at home.

School Gateway supports two-way messages between school and parents. Access uses the email address and mobile number held by the school, so keeping contact details current matters for communication.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal process and meet the applicable deadline. Castle View’s admissions page provides a Reception application link and confirms that the school follows Halton Borough Council’s admission policy. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

For a nursery place, contact the school office to arrange a visit. The office can be reached on 01928 563 970, and the school is on Mead Way, Halton Brook, Runcorn, WA7 2DZ. This gives families a direct enquiry route and an opportunity to discuss joining.

Applications made during the school year are considered individually against the numbers already in the relevant year group. Families seeking a midyear start should use that office route.