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Nursery at Mansel Primary
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Storybooks, construction and water play give Mansel’s nursery its character: children choose activities while adults guide learning indoors and outside. Independence is the aim. The nursery supports children aged 3 to 4 and has 39 places, with Blackbirds as its class name within Mansel Primary on Chaucer Road, Sheffield.
Younger children have a separate starting point. Robins is the two-year-old provision, supporting ages 2 to 3 in a building designed for that age group, with furniture and resources suited to them. Its indoor and outdoor spaces give children room to explore. At the Ofsted inspection on 21 and 22 March 2023, early years provision was graded Good within the school’s inspection.
Play combines children’s choices with activities directed by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together care, development and learning: communication, physical development and social and emotional skills provide the starting point for literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. For families, that means learning extends beyond letters and numbers to taking turns, expressing feelings and becoming more independent.
The Role-Play Area and Small World Area offer choices for imaginative play; children can also build in the Construction Area, tackle jigsaws or try Junk Modelling. A Water Tray and Sand Tray sit alongside spaces for reading, writing and maths. Learning takes place both outside and indoors, so the session is not confined to one classroom activity.
Books shape the curriculum, with key texts explored in depth. Speaking and listening receive sustained attention, and Read Write Inc begins in the final term before children start school. Maths focuses on shape, patterns and numbers. In March 2023, nursery children practised counting using chicks hatching in an incubator, a concrete example of number learning connected to something they could observe. Staff also taught new vocabulary and demonstrated how to use it, helping children extend what they could say.
For Robins, the emphasis is on communication, movement and personal and social development. Practitioners model language and support skills such as toilet training, linking learning with the everyday steps towards independence.
Recognising emotions and handling strong feelings form part of the nursery curriculum, alongside sharing and turn-taking. These are practical skills for playing with other children. Families receive school communications through Class Dojo, with paper copies sent when a letter needs a parental response.
Children with additional learning needs can receive support coordinated by the SENDCo, including observations, outside-agency referrals and help with support plans. Plans divide individual outcomes into smaller steps and are reviewed three times a year, with parents invited to contribute. This gives families a regular role in discussing their child’s support.
School meals are prepared on site. Choices include sandwiches, filled jacket potatoes and two hot main meals, accompanied by seasonal vegetables or salad; fruit is offered daily and children have drinking water. The school’s safeguarding structure includes a senior designated lead supported by two deputies.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Sheffield Council School Admissions and meet the normal application deadline. Treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery attendance.
Preparation for school includes developing independence, speaking and listening, and introducing Read Write Inc in the final nursery term. That learning preparation is separate from the allocation of Reception places.
Blackbirds morning sessions run from 8:35am to 11:35am; afternoons run from 12:15pm to 3:15pm. Full-day attendance runs from 8:35am to 3:15pm. Families can also use a pattern of 2.5 days at the beginning or end of the week, giving a different way to organise attendance. Robins runs from 8:35am to 11:35am.
For the older nursery, 15 hours are available through Free Early Learning funding, with 30-hour provision for eligible families. Funded two-year-old childcare is available for certain eligible groups. Nursery enquiries and visits go through the main school office: call 0114 232 1278 or email enquiries@mansel.sheffield.sch.uk. Refer to the school for current charges.
Blackbirds supports children aged 3 to 4. The separate Robins provision supports children aged 2 to 3.
Blackbirds offers mornings from 8:35am to 11:35am, afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm and full days from 8:35am to 3:15pm. Robins runs from 8:35am to 11:35am.
Children combine activities guided by adults with their own choices, including construction, role play, reading, jigsaws, sand and water play. Learning happens indoors and outdoors.
The older nursery offers 15 funded Free Early Learning hours and 30-hour provision for eligible families. Two-year-old funding is available for certain eligible groups.
No. Families must apply separately through Sheffield Council School Admissions and meet the normal application deadline.
