Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Purposeful play shapes the early years at Our Lady of Lourdes: children’s interests help steer topics, while staff plan for the skills children need next. This is nursery provision within a Catholic primary school on Grantham Road in Southport, with applications for two-year-olds and children aged three to four. Full and part-time places are offered, giving families two broad attendance options.

Exploring, trying again and developing ideas are the nursery’s starting points for learning. The school aims to build independence and confidence through creativity and purposeful play. Its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum combines activity indoors and outside with opportunities for children to investigate, concentrate and work out how to do things for themselves.

Three areas come first: developing movement and physical skills, learning to communicate, and understanding feelings and relationships. These support later learning in maths, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, that means play has a clear educational purpose, rather than being separate from learning.

Children also influence what happens next. Staff observe their interests and talk with both children and parents, using those conversations to shape future class topics. Adult planning sits alongside that curiosity: observations help staff identify what children need to learn and choose an appropriate level of challenge. The emphasis is on investigating and persevering, with room for children to develop their own ideas.

Parents contribute to learning through discussions with early years staff. Sharing what interests a child helps the team connect activities with that child’s curiosity, making the parent’s knowledge useful to classroom planning.

For additional needs, the school’s SENCO coordinates SEND provision, and families can arrange an appointment through the office. An EYFS Mental Health Champion also forms part of the school’s support structure. These are distinct points of contact for learning needs and emotional wellbeing.

Daily school meals are offered across the school, with meal enquiries handled by the office. At collection, staff release children only after seeing the adult collecting them. That makes the handover a deliberate part of the day.

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

The application route is Sefton’s online school admissions service or a Local Authority Preference form. The Governing Body determines school admissions. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions; an attendance pattern agreed for nursery does not secure the next place.

A 3:05pm finish is the clearest nursery-specific timing to build into collection plans. The school gates also open at 3:05pm for end-of-day collection, and families are asked to keep exit doors clear so children can leave safely and promptly.

For nursery enquiries or a personal school tour with the headteacher, contact the office on 01704 568375 or admin@olol.pfcmat.org. Nursery applications have separate forms for Terrific Twos and for children aged three to four. The school’s address is Grantham Road, Southport, PR8 4LT.