Smallthorne Primary Academy Nursery Review

At the November 2023 inspection, nursery children built chairs for the Three Bears, turning a familiar story into an exercise in size and position. That connection between language, stories and practical learning gives this provision its character. Nursery places are offered for two-year-olds and three-year-olds within Smallthorne Primary Academy on Chetwynd Street, Stoke-on-Trent.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 14 and 15 November 2023. This is an early years judgement within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Listening comes before decoding. Nursery children practise distinguishing sounds through rhythm, rhymes and songs, alongside games involving voice sounds and words that begin alike. They also practise combining spoken sounds into words and separating words into sounds. These are the building blocks of phonics: hearing how a word works before trying to read it.

Animaphonics Early Worms adds animal mascots, actions and poems to this work. Links between letters and sounds may be introduced through these activities. The approach gives children several ways to remember a sound, with movement and imagery alongside listening. Familiar books also mattered in November 2023: early years children returned to stories to practise vocabulary and develop confidence.

Practical maths has a similarly concrete starting point. In November 2023, nursery children built chairs for the Three Bears and explained their choices using language about position and size. The task connected something they could make with something they could describe. Maths became part of the story.

Art brings another form of exploration. AccessArt shapes the school’s art approach, and early years activities involve experimenting with materials, colours, textures and tools. Children use materials to communicate stories and ideas while practising the small hand movements needed for writing. The school’s Character and Arts Curriculum draws on Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles, emphasising relationships and learning shaped around the individual child.

Staffing includes a Nursery 1 Manager. For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the school’s SENCO works with teachers and families to coordinate support. Early discussions consider a child’s difficulties and strengths, parents’ concerns and the outcomes everyone is working towards. Support follows an assess, plan, do, review cycle, giving families a framework for discussing what should happen next.

Individual learning support. In November 2023, curriculum adaptation for some pupils with SEND was inconsistent across the school, limiting their progress in some subjects. The same inspection found that curriculum planning and sequencing needed attention in a small number of subjects, with some work too easy or repeated. Both concerns applied across the school, rather than specifically to the nursery. Families whose child needs additional support should focus discussions on how activities will be adapted for that child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority under the applicable admission criteria. Families must make a separate Reception application through their home local authority’s coordinated process; Stoke-on-Trent residents apply through Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Submit that application by the normal closing deadline.

For children with SEND, the school aims to tailor transition support to the individual, potentially using activities in a small group or one-to-one. Preparation for the next stage is separate from the allocation of a place.

Visits can be arranged by appointment through the school office on 01782 235265. This gives families a direct route to see the provision before choosing it. The nursery sits within the academy at Chetwynd Street, Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 1PR.