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Nursery at Thatto Heath Community Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Rhymes, football themes and learning through play give Little Hearts its character. Thatto Heath Community Primary School’s early years provision includes Little Hearts 2-Year-Old Nursery and Pre-School, with the school describing its nursery and pre-school application age as 2–3. It sits within the school on Hobart Street in St Helens.
Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good following its inspection on 24 and 25 October 2023; there were no two-year-olds on roll at that time. That is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.
Play has a clear learning purpose here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum gives attention to speech and language alongside early number work. Counting, comparing quantities and solving problems are among its stated aims. For parents, that means play is intended to build children’s communication and mathematical understanding, rather than simply fill a session.
The named HEART Curriculum adds a focus on character and self-acceptance. Hobart the Hedgehog is its school mascot. The early years curriculum aims to develop curiosity and confidence, giving the youngest children a place within the school’s broader approach to learning.
Specific activities bring that approach into focus. In November 2025, Little Hearts Nursery and Pre-School joined World Nursery Rhyme Week, taking part in the Rhyme A Day Challenge. This gave children repeated opportunities to join in with language and rhythm. A separate Little Hearts update describes individual activities with a football theme. These are examples of themed play, rather than a fixed daily timetable.
Contact with families includes nursery-specific consultations with key workers. Little Hearts Nursery and Preschool consultations were scheduled for the week beginning 10 November 2025, and a subsequent update thanked families for discussing progress and next steps with staff. This creates a specific opportunity to talk about how a child is getting on.
A January 2025 early years update described new nursery and pre-school children exploring their surroundings and beginning friendships as they settled. The emphasis was on becoming familiar with the setting and other children.
SEND support. The school’s October 2023 improvement actions included a concern that some pupils with SEND received a narrower curriculum than their peers. This was a school-wide concern, not a finding attributed specifically to nursery children, but it makes access to the intended curriculum an important discussion for families needing additional support. The October 2023 inspection also required the school to complete its assessment systems in a small number of subjects: unfinished systems sometimes made learning gaps harder to spot and tackle. This was also a school-wide improvement action.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process.
The November 2025 notice directed applications for January 2026 nursery and pre-school places directly to the school, while applications for September 2026 Reception places went online through St Helens Council. The Reception deadline was 15 January 2026. That admissions cycle is now past; the distinction between the two application routes is the practical point for nursery families to retain.
Morning sessions run from 8:40am to 11:40am; afternoon sessions run from 12:25pm to 3:25pm. Fixed handover times replaced the previous flexible start and finish arrangements from 4 September 2025. Parents must be punctual for both drop-off and collection, so these times need to fit the family’s working day.
Funding guidance shared in May 2025 described up to 30 childcare hours each week for eligible working families, during 38 term-time weeks, with eligibility starting from the term after a child turns nine months. It also instructed families to confirm arrangements with their provider and reconfirm their childcare code every three months. This guidance does not itself establish a Little Hearts booking pattern.
Applications for Little Hearts go directly to the school. Tours can be arranged through the office, and enquiries can be made on 01744 678710, by email at office@thattoheath.st-helens.sch.uk or through the contact page’s enquiry form.
The school describes Little Hearts 2-Year-Old Nursery and Pre-School applications as covering ages 2–3.
Morning sessions are 8:40am to 11:40am, and afternoon sessions are 12:25pm to 3:25pm. Drop-off and collection are at fixed times.
No. Reception requires a separate application. For the September 2026 intake, applications went through St Helens Council, with a deadline of 15 January 2026.
Little Hearts holds parent consultations with key workers. A November 2025 update described families discussing their children’s progress and next steps with staff.
Yes. Contact the school office to arrange a tour. The telephone number is 01744 678710, and the email address is office@thattoheath.st-helens.sch.uk.
