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Nursery at Seaview 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Dough Disco, climbing apparatus and daily toothbrushing give Seaview’s nursery a practical character: children work on the small movements, physical confidence and everyday habits that help them become more independent. This is nursery provision within Seaview Primary School, on The Avenue in Deneside, Seaham, with a separate provision for two-year-olds.
An Early Years Foundation Stage team leader sits within the school’s staffing structure. At the inspection on 21 and 22 May 2024, Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early learning and children’s development. Here, that means practising movement and communication alongside stories, number work and increasing independence. Carpet-time rhymes, listening activities and purposeful mark-making give children different ways to take part.
Physical learning has plenty of concrete detail. Cosmic Kids Yoga and Dough Disco feature alongside climbing apparatus, while chalk activities use large surfaces for drawing. Later activities include moving along planks and handling crates safely. These experiences connect whole-body movement with the hand control needed for scissors and pencils.
Language work begins with listening to stories and joining in familiar songs. Silly Soup introduces initial sounds; Fred’s Fridge/Fred’s Wardrobe develops spoken blending and segmenting. RWI – Nursery Phonics appears in the summer programme. Children also retell stories through actions, pictures and their own marks, giving them ways to express a story before they can write it independently.
Number learning uses objects and play. Children count collections up to five, match quantities with numerals and recognise groups of up to three objects without counting each one. Plant care adds another kind of observation. Indoor and outdoor learning spaces support these experiences: in May 2024, early years children encountered counting and written numbers throughout their environment, with adults using interactions to develop number understanding.
Settling starts before the first session. Staff make home visits to all new nursery children, giving families a chance to become familiar with the adults who will work with their child.
Daily care is also part of learning. Toothbrushing features throughout the nursery programme, alongside learning to manage shoes, clothing fastenings, toileting and handwashing. For children having a school dinner, parents choose meals through Arbor rather than leaving the selection to staff. Families provide dietary preferences, allergies and health information before their child starts.
SEND support includes The Little Lighthouse, the early years classroom within Coast SEND support provision. Access to that provision is supported by an Education, Health and Care Plan or Top-up funding. Sensory breakout rooms, movement breaks and sensory resources form part of the school’s support offer. In May 2024, early years staff helped children with SEND develop communication, including children who were nonverbal. Parents take part in termly SEN support reviews, making the next steps a shared discussion.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority. The primary admission priorities concern children in public care, exceptional medical reasons, sibling links and distance. Families must apply separately for Reception through Durham County Council’s normal admissions process.
Preparation for the move is a separate matter. Reception starters have a parent information meeting, summer classroom visits, an invitation to school lunch and a gradual introduction to the school day. Individual transition arrangements can be made where appropriate, helping children become familiar with their next classroom and adults.
The nursery timetable gives morning sessions as 8.45am to 11.45am and afternoons as 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The application form gives different times: 8:30 to 11:30 and 12:00 to 3:00. Both describe three-hour sessions. Confirm current start and collection times with the school office before planning childcare. A 30-hour option is conditional on eligibility, with an eligibility code requested when applying.
Nursery applications are handled by the school. Contact the office on 0191 5813974 or email p3520.admin@durhamlearning.net. The two-year-old provision has its own application route.
Uniform combines a yellow T-shirt and blue jumper with black trousers or a grey or black skirt or pinafore, plus black shoes. Clothing does not need the school badge. Label belongings and choose outdoor clothing that can tolerate mud and scuffs; the school clothing bank also supplies pre-loved uniform and winter coats.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place or confer priority. Apply separately through Durham County Council’s normal admissions process.
The timetable gives 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.15pm to 3.15pm; the application form gives 8:30 to 11:30 and 12:00 to 3:00. Sessions last three hours, but confirm current times with the school office.
Yes, for eligible families. The application asks for a 30-hour eligibility code.
Staff visit all new nursery children at home before they start, helping families become familiar with members of the team.
A blue jumper, yellow T-shirt, black trousers or a grey or black skirt or pinafore, and black shoes. School badges are optional, and belongings should be labelled.
