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Nursery at The Oak Tree Academy
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Digging, planting and daily stories give The Oak Tree Academy’s nursery a character that combines practical exploration with an early emphasis on language. Children join from age 3, with entry possible throughout the year. This is the school’s own nursery on Newham Grange Avenue in Stockton-on-Tees, forming part of its early years provision.
Outdoor learning includes a woodland area, and nursery children take part in developing the grounds. Their involvement extends from thinking through designs to planting them. That gives young children something tangible to investigate and help create.
Play chosen by children sits alongside activities guided by adults. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) organises learning into seven areas, rather than separate school subjects. Here, language, movement and social development sit alongside early reading, mathematics and exploring the world. Learning zones and sensory experiences give children different ways to take part.
Reading begins with listening and conversation. Nursery uses Phase One activities: children practise hearing sounds, speaking and listening through poetry, rhymes, songs and stories. Essential Letters and Sounds is the academy’s phonics programme, but the nursery emphasis is on the foundations for reading. Shared books and discussion matter before formal decoding.
Little Land is the nursery and early years part of Northern Education Trust’s Reading Routes. Daily stories sit alongside books children can select during play, making reading both an adult-led experience and a choice children can make themselves.
Mathematics uses a mastery approach, with children exploring an idea, practising it and applying it in different ways. Opportunities to revisit maths during play extend learning beyond a taught activity. Physical learning happens outdoors and indoors, with sensory exploration supporting coordination, strength and awareness of space. The woodland work adds digging and planting to that practical picture.
Tapestry connects learning at nursery with life at home. Parents can see activities and progress through the app and contribute examples of their child’s learning outside school. Consultation meetings provide another opportunity to discuss development, while stay and play sessions let families participate in the early years setting.
Books also travel home through a lending library, with borrowing possible each day. Curriculum workshops and sessions about children’s safety and wellbeing give parents further ways to become involved.
Early years children receive fruit as a playtime snack. Families should tell staff about allergies, so this everyday food routine takes account of their child’s needs.
For children with additional needs, the academy creates individual learning plans using assessment, professional advice and information from parents and children. Support can involve Speech and Language Therapy or Portage, depending on need. Parents can discuss concerns with the class teacher or arrange contact with the SEND coordinator through the office.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Stockton-on-Tees School Admissions, using the council’s application route at www.stockton.gov.uk. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.
Preparation for school includes guidance for parents on children’s emotional, social, physical and personal skills. This supports conversations about readiness; it does not change the admissions process or secure a place.
The morning nursery session runs from 08:40 to 11:40. An afternoon session is available when parents qualify for 30-hour funding, ending at 15:05. That funding condition matters for families planning care beyond the morning.
The nursery provides a funded 15-hour option and a 30-hour option with an eligibility code. Contact the school directly for a nursery place on 01642 602029. Families can also book an academy tour by telephone. For current charges, contact the school.
Children can join from age 3, with entry throughout the year.
The morning session is 08:40 to 11:40. An afternoon session, ending at 15:05, is available when parents qualify for 30-hour funding.
No. Families must apply separately through Stockton-on-Tees School Admissions at www.stockton.gov.uk.
Parents can view activities and progress through Tapestry and share learning from home. Parent consultation meetings and stay and play sessions provide further contact with staff.
Early years children receive fruit at playtime. Parents should inform staff about allergies.
