Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff Nursery

Stories, conversation and play give this nursery its character, with indoor and outdoor spaces usable throughout the year. Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff has 60 nursery places for children aged 3-4 at its school on Goldenhill Road in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. Foxes, Owls and Squirrels are the nursery group names.

Qualified teachers lead the nursery team and support its Early Years Practitioners. The early years provision reached Expected standard in the Ofsted report dated 18 November 2025. That judgement covers the school's early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Language runs through the learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach includes communication and literacy experiences led both by children and by adults. Nursery children share poems and stories, join in action rhymes and practise listening. Oral blending activities help them hear how spoken sounds combine into words. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised provides the named phonics approach.

Themes connect learning with things young children recognise. Me and My Family explores family life; Where do I live? turns attention to children's surroundings. Small world play gives children opportunities to talk about familiar objects and places, while seasonal changes provide subjects for discussion. A Rent a Beast visit in May 2025 introduced nursery children to bugs and their habitats, giving those conversations a concrete focus.

The physical provision includes indoor learning space and outdoor facilities for year-round use. Within the early years outdoor area, a mobile trim trail adds a physical play feature. An ocean-themed sensory room offers another kind of space, used for planned support and when children need sensory help.

In November 2025, adults supported children's vocabulary and encouraged them to express their ideas confidently. There was also a clear weakness: some activities failed to extend children's existing understanding enough. Learning challenge. Activities need greater ambition and more consistent progression, so parents should look closely at how play develops their child's next steps.

Settling begins before the nursery start. Home visits introduce staff to children and families, helping identify additional needs and organise support in advance. For an autumn start, summer stay-and-play sessions introduce children and their parents or carers to staff and school life. This gives families an opportunity to begin those relationships together.

Warm adult relationships and predictable routines helped early years children feel secure in November 2025. Parents also received updates about development and learning, alongside guidance for supporting their child at home.

For children needing extra help with communication, WellComm provides individual sessions within the EYFS, with further practice in classroom provision. The school also works with the Stoke Speaks Out Project for speech and language assessment and staff advice. Parents with concerns can start with the class teacher, then speak to the SENCo if concerns remain.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority in the school's oversubscription criteria. Families must make a separate application through their local authority by 15 January. For Stoke-on-Trent residents, the route is Stoke-on-Trent City Council; families living elsewhere apply through their own council.

Summer transition days introduce children to their next teacher and classroom, with extra sessions planned for children who find change harder. Familiarity can help with the move. It does not replace the separate admissions process.

To arrange a nursery visit, telephone 01782 881480 or email clar-office@coopacademies.co.uk. Nursery applications have their own application route through the school.

Uniform includes a royal blue Co-op logo sweatshirt, a white polo shirt, grey trousers, skirt or pinafore, and black school shoes. Nursery children do not need PE uniform. Pre-loved clothing is available through the pastoral team, and a monthly uniform swap gives families another way to reuse items.