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Nursery at Woodheys Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Boats tested in the school pond, playdough made from scratch and real cups for pretend play give Woodheys nursery a practical character. Children have a classroom of their own, with a door towards the outdoor area shared with Reception. Everyday materials become opportunities to investigate and practise independence.
This is Woodheys Primary School's nursery provision in Sale, within a school whose age range starts at three. Place numbers. Nursery admissions information gives 26 places, while the nursery class information gives 52. Those conflicting counts need resolving before families plan around capacity. Full-time and part-time attendance patterns are offered.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the curriculum framework, alongside Development Matters guidance. In parent language, learning starts with talking, relationships and physical skills, then extends into early reading and writing, numbers, discovering the world and creative expression. Carpet activities and play opportunities address children's individual next steps. Adult-directed activities sit alongside play that children choose themselves.
Practical exploration supplies the detail. Making dough involves handling materials; building a boat and trying it on the pond gives children a problem to solve. The classroom connects towards the shared outdoor environment, so learning has both indoor and outdoor settings. The EYFS curriculum also includes counting, sorting and exploring shapes, rather than treating mathematics solely as a formal lesson.
Tales Toolkit supports early storytelling across EYFS through imaginative play and creating stories together. Children practise putting ideas into words before written composition becomes the focus. Specialist teaching in Forest Schools, PE and Music extends across EYFS too.
At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that nursery children were learning initial sounds and becoming familiar with routines quickly, including sharing resources and taking turns. These are useful foundations for both learning and joining a group.
Settling begins with a parent or carer accompanying the child for a visit, followed by brief periods attending independently. Each child has a key worker. Snack is taken in that worker's group, with conversation about family news and children's interests, giving the relationship a regular place in the day.
Once children have settled, staff spend six weeks getting to know their needs, interests and abilities through play. Families then receive individual learning aims. Tapestry carries at least one observation each week; personalised next steps are shared four times annually. Parents' evenings take place in autumn and spring, alongside Stay and Play sessions and daily conversations at the beginning and end of the day.
Nursery teachers and teaching assistants form part of the early years team. The school's SEND approach includes visual prompts, adaptations for sensory or communication needs and targeted individual or small-group support. Families can raise concerns with their child's class teacher first, giving them a direct starting point for discussing support.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Trafford Council's normal admissions process by the applicable closing date. The school's admissions arrangements list care status, catchment, siblings and distance as allocation criteria; nursery attendance confers no priority.
Sharing the outdoor environment with Reception gives nursery children familiarity with part of the setting they may later use. That practical continuity is separate from admissions. It does not reserve a place.
Full-time attendance runs Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 3.30pm. One route offers 30 hours with an eligible code; another involves a top-up charge. The two part-time patterns are described as 15-hour places: Monday and Tuesday until 3.30pm, plus Wednesday until 11.30am; or Wednesday from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, followed by Thursday and Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm.
Additional charges. The nursery admissions arrangements charge all children for lunchtime supervision. Families should obtain current charges from the school when considering the attendance pattern.
Nursery applications go directly to the school through its application form, with a birth certificate and proof of residence. For enquiries, contact the office on 0161 973 4478 or admin@woodheysprimaryschool.co.uk.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Trafford Council, and nursery attendance is not a priority criterion in the school's admissions arrangements.
There is a Monday-to-Friday full-time pattern and two part-time blocks, each combining two full days with either Wednesday morning or Wednesday afternoon.
Children first visit with a parent or carer, then attend independently for short periods. Each child is allocated a key worker.
Tapestry includes at least one observation each week. Families also receive personalised next steps and can attend parents' evenings and Stay and Play sessions.
The nursery classroom has a door towards an outdoor environment shared with Reception. Learning examples include making boats and testing them in the school pond.
