Shortbrook Primary School Nursery

Language gives Shortbrook’s early years its clearest character: adults’ conversations with children help them develop their own communication. At the November 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection.

The nursery belongs to Shortbrook Primary School in Westfield, Sheffield. Its age groups cover children aged two to three and three to four, placing younger children within the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Learning connects children’s immediate needs with what comes next. In November 2023, early years activities were matched to children’s learning needs and linked to later learning. Adults demonstrated language through their interactions, giving children examples of how to communicate. That makes conversation part of the learning itself.

Two nursery topic titles give the curriculum a more recognisable shape: Celebrating Being Me and All Creatures Great and Small. These have knowledge organisers, which the school describes as tools for identifying key learning and supporting recall at home. For parents, the topic names provide a starting point for talking about learning together.

Home learning has its own nursery selection built around Dear Zoo. Resources include a board game, animal matching cards and a zoo counting activity. These are activities for families to use at home, extending the nursery’s learning resources beyond the session.

The nursery team includes a class teacher and a nursery practitioner. In November 2023, relationships between adults and children in early years were positive and caring, alongside the attention to communication. For young children, those interactions connect care with learning.

Support for additional needs sits within the school’s SEND provision. The school works with Educational Psychologists, the Autism Support Service and the Speech and Language Service, providing routes to specialist advice and assessment. Families can discuss medical, emotional, physical or learning needs during a school visit, so the conversation can focus on their child’s circumstances.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the relevant deadline.

Sheffield City Council handles school admission arrangements and places. Use the council’s admissions route for Reception; choosing the nursery and applying for a school place are separate decisions. The council admissions team can be contacted on 0114 2735766.

For the two-to-three nursery group, the session options run from 8:30am to 11:30am or from 12:15pm to 3:15pm, Monday to Friday. A longer day, 8:45am to 2:45pm, is specified for 30-hour funded places. That funding condition matters when considering the longer pattern.

Contact the school office on 0114 2482497 or use its online enquiry form. School visits are arranged by appointment through the office, and appointments can accommodate individual circumstances. A visit also provides the opportunity to discuss additional needs.

The school’s uniform combines a red jumper, white polo shirt and black trousers or skirt with smart black shoes. Logos are optional on the jumper, and supermarket uniform is accepted. Spare jumpers and a community uniform bank offer practical support through the office.

School safety procedures require children to use their allocated doors. Gates are locked to the public during the day, and children leaving during school hours are signed out, giving families clear boundaries around access and collection.