St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Stockton: Nursery Review

Early language, number and a three-hour morning give St Patrick's nursery its clearest shape. The nursery belongs to St Patrick's Catholic Primary School in Fairfield, Stockton-on-Tees, and its session runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. For families, that means a morning of nursery followed by an earlier collection than the main school day.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 6 and 7 March 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Language and number receive a clear emphasis in the early years. In March 2024, teaching activities and materials helped children consolidate what they had learned and take their understanding further. Children gained the skills and knowledge intended for them. The practical significance is the connection between choosing an activity and what a child learns from it: resources serve a teaching purpose.

Early reading begins within this same stage. Phonics, which connects written letters with their sounds, starts in early years, and teaching follows a consistent approach. All staff have training to teach it. For a child beginning to understand how reading works, that consistency matters: the approach does not depend on which adult is teaching.

The early years foundation stage is the part of the school's provision concerned with these first steps in learning. Here, the March 2024 findings give language, number and phonics particular weight. They describe foundations for later learning, rather than a nursery day defined simply by its timetable.

Predictable routines are a concrete part of the early years experience. In March 2024, staff had put routines in place that children could understand and follow. For young children learning how to take part in a group, this gives the session a recognisable structure and makes expectations easier to grasp.

That finding matters alongside the teaching emphasis. Children are learning how the day works as well as developing their language and number knowledge. Familiar routines provide a framework for taking part in those activities.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at St Patrick's. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Choosing this nursery therefore needs to be a decision about the nursery experience itself, with the Reception application treated as a separate step.

Separate applications. A nursery place is not a secured school place. Keep the Reception application in your plans even while your child attends nursery.

The nursery morning runs from 8:45am until 11:45am. Its finish time is the practical detail to build into family arrangements: collection comes before the afternoon, so this session occupies only the morning.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school on 01642 580850 or email admin@stpatricks.bhcet.org.uk.