Trinity Church of England/Methodist School Nursery

Play, conversation and growing independence shape the nursery years at Trinity. Seedlings caters for children aged 2–3, while Sunflower serves ages 3–4, within the school on Kiln Lane in Skelmersdale. These are distinct stages: Seedlings emphasises communication and learning to manage personal care; Sunflower combines children’s own explorations with sessions led by adults.

The school’s Christian values include respect, trust and perseverance. Alongside that identity, early years children explore celebrations including Hanukkah, Diwali and Chinese New Year, giving them encounters with traditions beyond their own families.

Children’s interests help determine the week’s topics at Sunflower. Staff plan activities around those interests and events, keeping individual records of participation and developing skills. Children have daily access to resources outdoors and inside, with focused adult teaching alongside their play. There is room for both choice and direction.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects seven areas of development. In parent terms, this means learning to communicate and manage feelings alongside movement, early reading, number work, creativity and understanding the world. Activities often combine these areas: role play involves language as well as imagination, while exploring materials creates opportunities to describe discoveries.

Books and conversation receive deliberate attention. Adults read stories aloud, and vocabulary development runs through the early years approach. Counting, exploring shapes, music, dance and art sit alongside this language work. Children are physically active daily, and nursery exploration extends to the school grounds and local community.

The physical provision includes enlarged outdoor spaces and two new canopies in the early years area. In November 2024, Ofsted found that many early years staff had expertise in teaching young children, including two-year-olds, and that children cooperated well in play and learning. The same inspection identified weaknesses in teacher subject knowledge and some activities in a very small number of subjects across the school; that concern was not identified specifically as a nursery weakness.

Tapestry gives parents a window into nursery learning through photographs, video and written updates. Parents can comment and contribute experiences from home, making communication a two-way exchange. Nursery events also bring families and staff together.

For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), Sunflower can draw on the school’s support team. The Trinity SEND Rainbow is the school’s graduated approach, with parents involved in decisions about support. All early years staff have paediatric first-aid training. The school site is on one level, with wheelchair access throughout.

Food has practical choices attached. Nursery lunch can come from home or school, and Sunflower provides morning or afternoon snacks for a separate charge. The school has a fully equipped kitchen producing hot lunches on school days, working with Lancashire School Meals Service. Families choosing longer days therefore need to account for meals as well as childcare.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. The application route is Lancashire’s school admissions service.

For children with SEND, transition support includes time with the next teacher during the summer term and opportunities for parents to meet staff and see the next classroom. An adapted timetable is available where staff judge that a child would benefit from enhanced transition. Those arrangements support the change of class; they do not secure admission.

Seedlings and Sunflower offer morning sessions from 8:45am to 11:45am and afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm, Monday to Friday. Sunflower’s opening span is 7:45am to 6:00pm during term time, with breakfast and after-school sessions extending the day.

Eligible two-year-olds can take five funded sessions, and the 15-hour universal arrangement also uses five sessions. Families may request a mixture of mornings and afternoons, subject to accommodation. Combining both on one day brings a lunchtime charge. For eligible children, the 30-hour pattern runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm Monday to Thursday and finishes at 12:45pm on Friday; breakfast, after-school care and Friday afternoon are charged extras.

Fee-paying provision requires at least two sessions each week. Changes or leaving require four working weeks’ notice. Nursery club bookings are made through Weduc before each term and fixed for that term. Contact the office on 01695 723878 or email bursar@trinity.lancs.sch.uk to arrange a nursery visit and obtain current charges.