Co-op Academy Glebe Nursery Review

Rhythm, rhyme and listening games give the nursery at Co-op Academy Glebe a clear early literacy focus. For children aged 3 to 4, this is the school's own nursery in Fenton, with a full-time pattern running Monday to Friday. It offers a school-shaped day from the outset.

Ofsted judged the school's early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 12 and 13 June 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection outcome.

Listening comes before formal reading. In FS1, children practise recognising sounds around them, remembering what they hear and finding words to describe sounds. Body percussion, rhyme and voice sounds are among the activities used. These give children concrete ways to practise listening and language before working with written letters.

Read Write Inc provides the named phonics approach. Nursery children build the foundations for the programme, then begin Set 1 sounds in a focused daily lesson. Pictures and rhymes help them remember the sounds, while spoken blending and segmenting connect listening with early reading and spelling. The sequence is deliberate: hear the sounds, recognise them, then begin putting them together.

Each classroom has its own reading area, with fiction and non-fiction books for children to choose. Adult conversation also matters. In June 2024, early years questioning and interaction developed children's language and understanding effectively, and children used their phonics knowledge in writing. The Early Years Foundation Stage here therefore includes both communication and the beginnings of literacy, rather than treating reading as an isolated activity.

Settling starts before the first nursery day. Staff make home visits before children begin, giving families a chance to establish contact in familiar surroundings. In June 2024, the early years findings linked staff's knowledge of children and families with rapid settling and close attention to individual needs.

For additional support, the school's SEND arrangements include identifying concerns before entry to the foundation stage, involving parents and adapting activities to children's needs. Parents participate in reviewing their child's support targets at least five times a year. Quiet spaces across the school accommodate individual work and small groups. The building is single storey, with wheelchair access and two accessible toilets, useful practical details for families considering physical access.

Lunch is cooked on site by the Sunflower Cafe catering team. Daily choices include two hot meals, one vegetarian, alongside sandwiches, jacket potatoes and a salad counter. Nursery children do not receive universal infant free meals, although children eligible for an ordinary free school meal can qualify. Families can enquire through the office about eligibility.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority and meet its admissions deadline. For Stoke-on-Trent residents, the route is the city council; families living elsewhere apply through their own council.

Treat this as a separate decision and application, even if your child is already attending Glebe's nursery.

The full-time day runs from 8.25am to 2.45pm, Monday to Friday. Both funding arrangements use that timetable: eligible families can take 30 funded hours, comprising 15 universal hours and 15 extended hours; alternatively, the additional 15 hours can be purchased alongside the universal entitlement. Lunch is charged separately under both arrangements, with weekly charging. Contact the school for current charges.

Collection time. The nursery day ends at 2.45pm. Families arranging work or other childcare should plan around that finish.

Uniform includes a burgundy sweatshirt bearing the school logo, a white polo shirt, grey or black bottoms and plain black shoes. Pre-loved uniform is offered without a required payment, providing another way to obtain suitable clothing.

For enquiries or to arrange a visit, call 01782 234868 or email gleb-office@coopacademies.co.uk. Nursery places are allocated through the local authority, so the office enquiry and the application are distinct steps.