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Nursery at New Ford 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Daily phonics and time to pursue children’s own play give New Ford Academy’s nursery its character: early reading has a regular place, alongside learning indoors and outside. There are 60 nursery places within the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The academy, on Brownley Road in Smallthorne, takes children from age three.
Ofsted judged the early years provision Outstanding at the inspection on 13 and 14 June 2023. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Letters and sounds are part of every nursery day. The daily phonics session introduces children to their use in beginning to read and write, giving this aspect of learning a predictable rhythm. It sits alongside activities with the whole class, smaller groups taught by adults and opportunities for children to work independently.
The EYFS takes practical shape through that mixture of shared learning and children’s own choices. Activities span its curriculum, with both adult direction and play initiated by children, inside and outdoors. Children therefore have time to follow an interest as well as join something a member of staff has planned.
Reading begins in Nursery, rather than waiting until children move up. In June 2023, early years children showed sustained attention and persistence in their learning. Staff also picked up gaps in vocabulary promptly and provided targeted help that improved children’s language. For a child still developing confidence in speaking and listening, that attention to words matters across the day, beyond the phonics session alone.
Relationships across the early years were affectionate and supportive in June 2023. Staff recognised special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly at this stage, making early identification part of the support for younger children.
The school’s SEND team includes qualified staff who help children access classroom learning. Families can join termly coffee mornings or afternoons with the inclusion team and other parents and carers. An appointment can also be arranged through the office. These give parents several ways to discuss concerns and share experiences.
For children staying all day, lunch runs from 11.45am to 12.45pm. Families can choose a packed lunch or a school meal prepared on site. Fresh fruit and milk are free each day, and drinking water remains accessible. The choice of lunch lets families retain a familiar meal or use the school’s catering.
Parents have also shared classroom experiences with their children. Nursery Stay and Play sessions in February 2023 welcomed carers and other family members to join learning and play. Those sessions gave families a direct view of the activities children were enjoying.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions route; New Ford follows Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s arrangements, with online applications through the council.
For September 2026 entry, the Reception application deadline was 15 January 2026. That cycle is now past. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions, and follow the deadline for your child’s entry year.
Morning attendance starts at 8.50am and ends at noon. Booking an afternoon session extends the day to 3.20pm, so the collection time depends on the arrangement chosen.
Classroom doors are used for both entry and collection. Registration begins at 9.00am, when the external EYFS gates are locked; late arrivals go to the school office. That gives families a clear morning cut-off to plan around.
For nursery enquiries and an application form, contact the school office on 01782 234605. The office is the practical starting point for arranging a place and discussing the morning or longer day.
There are 60 places within New Ford Academy’s EYFS provision.
Morning attendance runs from 8.50am to noon. Children booked for an afternoon session finish at 3.20pm.
Yes. Daily phonics introduces letters and sounds and their use in early reading and writing.
Children attending all day can bring a packed lunch or have a school meal cooked on site. They also receive free fresh fruit and milk daily, with access to drinking water.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal school admissions route. New Ford follows Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s admission arrangements.
