Tilery Primary School Nursery Review

Room on the Broom gives a concrete flavour of Tilery’s nursery learning: in January 2024, children read the story and took part in activities connected with it. Books provide a starting point for things to do, as well as things to hear.

The nursery sits on the Tilery Primary School site, with provision for two-year-olds and Foundation Stage 1 entry after a child’s third birthday, subject to space. Tilery is now part of Northern Lights Learning Trust.

Story-linked activity is one example of the nursery curriculum in practice. The January 2024 Room on the Broom work connected reading with related activities, giving children several ways to engage with the same story.

Everyday behaviour has its own named vocabulary. Tilery Bees apply from Nursery onwards, with expectations covering kindness, honesty and respect, alongside readiness to learn. These give families useful language to recognise and use when talking about the nursery day.

The response to persistent difficulties differs by age. Following a reminder and a warning, two-year-olds may use the Calm Cube, a quiet space where an adult supports them. In Foundation Stage 1, the Cloud is used for time out: a child’s picture moves from the sun to the cloud and returns afterwards. Adults explain the reason, and the return marks a fresh start. Time out is calculated at one minute per year of age.

A home visit starts the relationship before nursery begins. Once a place becomes available, the Foundation Stage team arranges to meet the child and family at home. This creates an opportunity to discuss the child in familiar surroundings.

The nursery teacher also holds the Early Years SENDCo role, while teaching assistant roles are assigned to the two-year-old and three-year-old provision. Families with concerns about development can arrange a discussion with the SENDCo through school.

Support planning involves parents. Entry onto the SEND register requires parental permission, and families contribute their views about what might help. SEND Support plans are agreed with parents at the first consultation each term and reviewed at the next. That gives families recurring opportunities to assess progress and discuss the next targets.

School support extends beyond classroom staff. Speech and language services, occupational therapy and educational psychology can contribute specialist advice. Across the school, the REACH Room provides a place for children who need help with emotions or a pause before returning to class. These arrangements should be considered as individual support, rather than assumed to form every nursery child’s routine.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority in the normal admissions round, with the primary application deadline of 15 January.

For the 2025 admissions cycle, nursery attendance had a conditional role in priority: where admission-zone preferences exceeded places, condition four considered social or medical reasons, then nursery attendance, then distance. That was a dated arrangement, not a promise of a Reception place for children joining nursery now.

Nursery enquiries go through the school office on 01642 673761 or by email to tileryadmin@nllt.co.uk. The nursery intake form is returned to the office; Foundation Stage 1 can operate a waiting list when full.

Funding arrangements include two-year-old provision and 30-hour funding. The intake process asks families to apply for an eligibility code in the term before the child’s second or third birthday. Eligibility conditions apply to the two-year-old provision, so a child’s age alone does not establish entitlement.