The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Play observation and Catholic teaching give the early years at Holy Spirit their character. Staff watch how children play and develop, then adjust learning opportunities to their needs. The nursery provision belongs to The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School in Halton Brook, Runcorn; Little Diamonds is the named early-years class.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 2 and 3 July 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Little Diamonds describes a classroom divided into areas where children can practise existing skills and try new ones. Independence is a stated aim: children have opportunities to tackle challenges within these areas, while staff observations inform their next learning steps. This gives parents a picture of learning shaped partly by what children do in play, rather than solely by a lesson timetable.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the early-years curriculum here. Its activities include learning about relationships, feelings and personal safety. Through Ten:Ten's Life to the Full Plus programme, children explore their preferences and differences, practise recognising helpful and hurtful behaviour, and learn words for family and friendship relationships. The NSPCC PANTS message introduces bodily privacy. These are practical foundations for expressing feelings and asking a trusted adult for help.

Catholic teaching also has a named programme: The Way, The Truth and The Life begins in Early Years, with topics linked to the church calendar. Faith therefore shapes the learning content as well as the school's identity.

Curriculum sequencing. In July 2024, the early-years curriculum set out its intended destinations, but the intermediate learning steps needed clearer definition. This sometimes prevented activities from connecting securely to children's existing knowledge. For families, the issue concerns how successive experiences build understanding, rather than simply which topics children encounter.

Class Dojo connects Little Diamonds staff with parents and carers, carrying learning updates and notices about class or school changes. It gives families a practical channel for following classroom life. The early-years approach also emphasises relationships with children and their families alongside observation of individual development.

Food has a regular place in the Little Diamonds routine. Morning milk comes with snack choices such as fruit, yoghurt or cheese with crackers, for which a contribution is requested. Afternoon fruit is free. This distinguishes the contributed morning provision from the afternoon snack.

At school level, Operation Encompass involves police sharing information about domestic-abuse incidents so staff can support affected children promptly. The school also provides a SEND contact and links families to Halton's Local Offer, giving parents a route into discussions about additional needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal Halton Borough Council process, meeting the applicable deadline. The school's admissions guidance directs parents or carers to complete the application forms; it also provides a supplementary information form for the governors' admissions process. Treat the next application as a separate family task.

For enquiries, contact the school office on 01928 563148. School visits can be arranged by appointment, allowing families to discuss joining Holy Spirit directly with the school. The address is Cotterill, Halton Brook, Runcorn, WA7 2NL.

For current snack charges, contact the school. Little Diamonds asks families to label clothing and PE equipment clearly, a practical measure for keeping children's belongings identifiable.