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Nursery at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, South Shields
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Listening games, Makaton and stories give this nursery a clear emphasis on communication. At St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Whiteleas, nursery provision sits within a Catholic primary school welcoming children from age three. Families can choose a morning, afternoon or longer day through its 15 or 30 hour provision.
Catholic practice is part of children's experience: nursery children learn the school prayer and practise the sign of the cross. The school welcomes families of any faith or belief. That combination matters for parents choosing both an early learning setting and its religious character.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines early reading and mathematics with movement, relationships, communication, creativity and discovering the world. Here, nursery phonics starts with listening games. Children practise separating spoken words into sounds and joining sounds together orally, giving them work to do with their ears and voices before formal letter teaching begins.
Books include Stick Man, Peace At Last and The Little Red Hen; songs include Tommy Thumb and Dingle Dangle Scarecrow. Stories and rhymes supply concrete material for listening and joining in. Makaton adds signs and symbols to speech, giving children another way to express themselves and understand communication.
Creative activity extends outdoors. Across the EYFS, children have daily opportunities to use creative areas inside and outside, experimenting with materials, colour and texture and making work on different scales. Preparing and tasting fruit introduces food preparation, while junk modelling provides practice in handling and assembling materials. These are practical experiences rather than learning confined to paper.
In January 2025, early years children developed speaking confidence through a clear emphasis on language, with positive relationships between children and staff. Café and noodle-shop play included describing the textures and shapes of playdough food. Conversation had a purpose within the play.
The Come and See programme brings Catholic religious education into nursery. During the 2024–2025 cycle, children planned a birthday celebration for Toby Ted and made party decorations on Forest Friday. The familiar experience of a birthday gave them a starting point for thinking about celebration.
A nursery teacher also holds a deputy safeguarding role. Partnership with parents, carers and external agencies is part of supporting children as they begin nursery. For families discussing additional needs, the school's SEND Co-ordinator works with parents to identify needs and develop support plans; appointments with the SEND Team can be arranged through the office.
The longer nursery day includes dinner, with payments handled through Parentpay. Chadwick’s Kitchen supplies school meals, using ingredients prepared each day, and medical diets are arranged with parents. Packed lunches are permitted under the school's rules, which exclude nuts and products containing them. This gives families a clear dietary constraint to plan around.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through South Tyneside Council's primary admissions portal. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 4:30pm on Friday 15 January 2027. Keep that application separate from arrangements for the nursery day.
After a school place is offered, families are contacted about induction days, routines and uniform. For children with SEND, transition support can include meeting new teachers and becoming familiar with classrooms; phased arrangements may be used where additional support is needed. Preparation for change is separate from allocation of a place.
Morning sessions run from 8:45am to 11:45am, afternoons from 12:25pm to 3:25pm, and 30 hour provision from 8:45am to 3:25pm. Extended provision is also offered for nursery children. Contact the school for current charges.
Enquiries can be made through the online contact form, by emailing tso_info@stoswaldsrc.co.uk or by calling 0191 536 7922. Visits can be arranged through the office if families cannot attend an open evening. School uniform includes a royal blue sweatshirt, white polo shirt and grey trousers, skirt or pinafore; plain supermarket options and preloved uniform provide alternatives to branded items.
Morning sessions are 8:45am–11:45am, afternoons are 12:25pm–3:25pm, and 30 hour provision runs from 8:45am–3:25pm.
They play listening games and practise splitting and joining spoken sounds. Formal letter-and-sound teaching begins in Reception.
No. Families apply separately through South Tyneside Council. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 4:30pm on Friday 15 January 2027.
The 30 hour provision includes dinner, paid through Parentpay. Contact the school for current charges. Medical diets are accommodated with parents, and packed lunches must exclude nuts and nut-based products.
Contact the school office to arrange an appointment with the SEND Team. The SEND Co-ordinator works with parents and carers to identify needs and develop support plans.
