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Nursery at Reddish Vale Nursery 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A Storytelling circle, a Mud Kitchen and a bike track give Reddish Vale’s nursery day a clear character: talk, imaginative play and time outdoors. This maintained nursery school on Reddish Vale Road in Stockport caters for children aged two to four. Early education is the school’s purpose, rather than an addition to older year groups.
Children belong to a key person group, giving families a regular contact and children a familiar adult. The staff team holds qualifications in childcare and early education, and plans next steps around children’s ideas. That makes the relationship between adult and child central to how learning is organised.
Play takes up the largest share of the day, with group sessions and stories woven through it. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning and care: developing communication, movement and relationships alongside early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Birth to Five Matters guides planning here, while In the Moment planning means staff respond to children’s interests as play develops.
Language has specific routines. Staff use the ELKLAN approach, allowing ten seconds for a response after a question. Makaton signs and visual timetables offer additional ways to understand and participate. Tales Toolkit supplies story language, and familiar books include The Gruffalo and Dear zoo. Children have quieter spaces as well as areas for conversation, so participation need not mean competing with a busy room.
Indoors, younger children experiment with paint and dough; three- and four-year-olds can use real tools in the woodwork area. Outside, the Water Play Area and Construction Area extend their choices. Children plant in the Gardening Area, while Nature School uses a separate natural setting for exploration and supported risk-taking. These are practical opportunities to make, move and investigate.
At the December 2024 inspection, children were found to be confident communicators who could invent and retell stories. Curriculum precision. Some curriculum content needed clearer decisions about the knowledge to teach, so children could build their understanding more securely. This qualifies the positive picture of learning.
Settling begins before the first session. A parents’ information evening introduces the key worker, and families are offered a home visit to discuss their child’s interests, worries and medical background. Starting dates are generally staggered. The key person remains the first contact for questions and changes at home, giving that initial conversation continuity.
Snack is eaten with the key worker group: fruit or vegetables, with water or milk. Children can help themselves to drinking water during the day. Families provide a healthy packed lunch and drink for full days; eligible children may qualify for a free school meal. Food allergies should be shared with staff.
For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the SENDCo works with families and existing support plans. Help may include speech and language therapy or individual healthcare planning. Between ages two and three, a written progress check covers communication, physical development and personal and social development, with a copy for parents. Ofsted found safeguarding effective in December 2024.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline.
Preparation for the next stage is a different matter. The long-term plan includes helping children understand the move to Reception, alongside dressing, toileting and using cutlery independently. These routines practise skills children will use beyond nursery; they do not secure admission.
Two-year-old sessions run Monday to Friday, either 8.30–11.30am or 12.30–3.30pm, with funded and paid places. For three- and four-year-olds, the 15-hour pattern combines two full days with a Wednesday half-session, at either end of the week. Eligible families can take a 30-hour place, subject to availability, from 8.45am to 2.45pm on weekdays.
Paid Wednesday top-ups require payment for the whole half-term in advance. Before- and after-school care also depends on space. Contact 0161 480 6713 or admin@reddishvalenursery.stockport.sch.uk to enquire or arrange a tour, and ask the school for current charges. Contributions to the School Fund are voluntary.
Parking. The school car park is reserved for staff, and the Startwell car park serves families visiting that centre. Keep the gates clear; blue badge holders can arrange drop-off and collection with the nursery.
Children aged two to four, with provision for two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds.
Parents attend an information evening and can have a home visit from their key worker. Starting dates are generally staggered to support settling.
Snacks include fruit or vegetables with milk or water. Families bring a healthy packed lunch and drink for full days; eligible children may qualify for a free school meal.
Paid before- and after-school sessions and Wednesday top-ups are offered subject to space. Wednesday top-ups must be paid for the full half-term in advance.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process by its deadline.
