Holden Lane Academy Nursery

Stories, rhymes and model making give Holden Lane Academy’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own provision in Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent, with a creative area where children make pictures and models and practise using scissors. Practical activity sits alongside the beginnings of reading.

September nursery entry is for children who are three on or before 31 August. Within the school, the nursery is known as FS1, with a class teacher and an early years practitioner. That gives families distinct teaching and care roles to get to know.

The day has two teaching blocks: 8.55am to 11.30am, then 1pm to 3pm, with lunch between them. These times give parents a useful outline of the daily rhythm.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised provides the nursery’s Foundations for Phonics approach. Children practise blending sounds aloud each day, while stories and rhymes develop their language. The emphasis is on listening and speaking as foundations for reading. Making sounds with instruments is one nursery activity, adding a practical way to explore what children hear.

Painting and construction bring a different kind of concentration. In the creative area, making models and pictures involves handling materials and using scissors, giving children opportunities to practise coordination alongside their ideas. Nursery children also rehearsed Our Christmas Story with Reception children for a December 2023 performance. Families were invited to the planned performance.

Before starting, new children are encouraged to visit the school. For families, this offers a chance to introduce the setting before attendance begins.

Additional support follows an individual plan. The class teacher and special educational needs coordinator work with parents to decide what a child needs; the Learning Support Service or an Educational Psychologist may contribute where appropriate. A Pupil Passport records strengths, development needs and targets, with parents involved in termly reviews. This creates regular opportunities to discuss the next steps.

Personal care can be planned too. Toileting, hygiene or physical care needs are managed through an Individual Care Plan. Children who find eating difficult can receive help in the dining room, and meals are not hurried. Nursery school dinners carry a charge; contact the school office for current charges.

Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives priority in the 2027/28 allocation criteria. Families must make a separate Reception application through their home local authority. For Stoke-on-Trent residents, the online route is Stoke-on-Trent City Council admissions.

Confirm the Reception application window and intake year with the school or your home local authority before applying. Keep track of the separate Reception deadline, even if your child already attends nursery. Allocation considers care status, catchment, siblings and distance, rather than nursery attendance.

Visits can be arranged through the school office at a mutually convenient time during the school day, with a tour and an opportunity to speak to staff. Email holdenlane@holdenlaneacademy.co.uk to arrange one.

Half-termly curriculum updates explain children’s learning and suggest ways to support it at home. For journeys by car, parents are asked to park away from the school and complete the journey on foot. Allow time for that final part of the journey at collection as well as drop-off.