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Nursery at Mellor 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Space to climb, plant and dig gives Mellor’s nursery a distinctly outdoor character. This is an 18-place nursery within Mellor Primary School on Knowle Road, serving children aged three and four. Families can use 15 or 30 hours flexibly, making the attendance pattern an important part of the choice.
The outdoor setting comes with a significant educational caution. Ofsted’s April 2026 inspection judged the school’s early years provision Needs attention. That judgement covers early years across Nursery and Reception; it is not a separate nursery inspection outcome.
Adult guidance and independent play are both part of the early years experience, but the connection between them needs work. In April 2026, children learned successfully with adult direction, while opportunities to practise and extend that learning during their own play were insufficient. For parents, the question is how a taught idea becomes something a child can explore independently.
Communication also needs attention. Some adults did too little to develop children’s conversation or add vocabulary, limiting how clearly children could explain their thoughts. More consistent learning across the early years, especially spoken language, was an improvement priority. Ask about how adults extend conversations during play.
The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS, provides the curriculum framework. Learning includes developing spoken language and recognising sounds for early reading and writing. In April 2026, adult-led phonics helped children learn these sounds, although support for spoken language needed attention. Here, the daily experience includes focused teaching alongside play, with outdoor opportunities for planting, digging and climbing. Generous space allows children to try manageable physical challenges and play together. In April 2026, this supported confidence and cooperation.
Indoors, early years classrooms were added in 2011. The school describes separate activity areas intended to limit interruptions and noise. These give different activities their own space, while the inspection’s concerns show why the use of that space matters as much as its size.
An Early Years Teacher and a Nursery Team form part of the staffing structure. In April 2026, adults treated children with warmth and encouragement, and children were happy and felt secure. Staff also worked with families to recognise learning barriers early and arrange appropriate help.
MyEd sends texts and emails to the main family contact. For special educational needs and disabilities, parents can contact the SENDCo through the office or at senco@mellor.stockport.sch.uk. The school also works with the Stockport School Nursing Team on children’s health needs, giving families another route for support.
Lunch is a practical decision for children staying into the afternoon. Taylor Shaw provides school meals, and an afternoon stay is treated as a request for a school lunch unless parents tell the office otherwise. A packed lunch is an alternative. Nursery lunches carry a charge, so meals need to be considered separately from funded attendance.
For the July 2023 intake arrangements, nursery children were offered a one-hour taster afternoon. That was an opportunity to experience the setting before starting.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. The application route is online through Stockport Council; treat that application as a separate task from arranging nursery attendance.
Familiarity with the school and an entitlement to a place are different matters. Keep the Reception application in your plans even when your child is already attending nursery.
Morning nursery runs from 9am to noon, with optional afternoon attendance finishing at 3:15pm. The school offers flexibility over using 15 or 30 hours. Funded early education is described as up to 15 hours each week in term time for three- and four-year-olds, with up to 30 hours subject to eligibility. Families using a 30 Hour Code should notify the office.
Additional nursery sessions are booked through MyEd. Afternoon attendance can use the extended funded entitlement or be paid for; contact the school for current charges.
Mellor Out-of-School Care Scheme accepts nursery children. Its morning provision runs from 7:30am to 8:45am, and afternoon care from 3:15pm to 6pm. Book these sessions through MyEd a week ahead. This adds useful coverage around the nursery day, with separate care charges.
For enquiries, email schooladmin@mellor.stockport.sch.uk or telephone 0161 427 1052. Personal school tours can be arranged through the school.
The nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds and has 18 places.
Morning nursery runs from 9am to noon. Optional afternoon attendance ends at 3:15pm, with flexibility over using 15 or 30 hours.
Yes. Mellor Out-of-School Care Scheme includes nursery children, with sessions from 7:30am to 8:45am and 3:15pm to 6pm. Book through MyEd a week in advance.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal process, using Stockport Council’s online application route.
The April 2026 inspection judged early years Needs attention. Children benefited from caring adults and ample play space, but independent play did not extend taught learning sufficiently, and support for spoken language was inconsistent.
