St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Stockton Nursery

Rhymes and songs mark the beginning of the early reading journey at St Cuthbert’s. That gives this school nursery a concrete starting point: children encounter reading through activities built around spoken language before their learning develops further.

The nursery belongs to St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, Stockton, on Parkfield Road in Stockton-on-Tees. This is a mixed, Roman Catholic primary school with nursery classes, within Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust. The school’s age range begins at three; its full age range and capacity describe the whole primary school, rather than the nursery alone.

In March 2024, early-years reading began with rhymes and songs. These are the first steps in the reading journey described for the youngest children. For parents, the useful detail is the starting activity itself: early reading begins with language children can hear and repeat.

The early years foundation stage also includes learning beyond reading. Understanding the world was a specific area needing attention in March 2024. Activities within continuous provision, the learning opportunities available across different areas, varied in how precisely they supported children’s knowledge. Some activities needed a clearer purpose so that children could consolidate what they were learning.

Learning through activities. The March 2024 inspection identified uneven planning across early-years areas, especially understanding the world. The practical concern is what an activity helps a child learn and remember. An appealing task needs a clear learning purpose too. This is a material qualification to the nursery picture: the reading starting point was concrete, while the purpose of some other early-years activities needed strengthening.

Rhymes and songs are also a concrete point of connection between nursery learning and home. Parents can share those activities with their child, keeping the emphasis on enjoying spoken language. This follows the early-years reading starting point rather than adding a separate learning programme.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a place in the school’s Reception class. Nursery admission and Reception admission are separate processes: families need to apply again through the normal Reception application route and meet the applicable deadline.

Treat that application as a separate step in planning your child’s next year. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are two decisions, even though both concern the same school. Nursery attendance should not be treated as confirmation of a future Reception place.

The school’s address is Parkfield Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3SY, and its telephone number is 01642 601567. These identify the Stockton school and provide its direct contact details.

Keep the distinction between nursery provision and the wider primary school clear when considering practical arrangements. The nursery is part of the school; whole-school figures describe a broader provision than the nursery places a family is considering.