St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy Nursery

Speech and language give this nursery its clearest identity. Oral language activities are matched to children's development, making communication a practical focus of early learning. Nursery is the school's FS1 class, with a class teacher and an early years practitioner assigned to it.

At St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy in Bentilee, this provision sits within a Catholic primary school. The school describes Gospel values as guiding its work with children.

Language development shapes the learning. The English curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, and nursery children who enter below age-related expectations receive speech and language interventions. Staff adapt spoken-language activities to children's developmental stages, connecting this work with other learning. For a child still developing their communication, that makes language support part of the curriculum rather than a separate ambition.

Books have a physical place, too. Each classroom has a reading area organised around an author, giving children a space for exploring books. In March 2022, Ofsted found that early-years children's vocabulary and listening developed rapidly through the language-focused curriculum. Stories, texts and the words children encounter were deliberately selected. The practical emphasis is on understanding language as well as using it.

Alongside the nursery teaching team, the school's support structure includes a SEND coordinator, an assistant SEND coordinator and a Home School Link Worker. The SEND coordinator holds the National Award for SEN Coordination. These are distinct roles for learning needs and family support, giving parents different points of contact according to the concern.

For families needing help with school relationships, the Home School Link Worker can support meetings and direct parents towards advice or support groups. That assistance extends beyond classroom learning to the conversations families may need to have about their child.

Accessibility has concrete features: classroom doorways and designated school entrances accommodate wheelchairs. Across the school, teachers adjust materials or allow extra time for children with disabilities. The school aims to reduce obstacles to participation; those adaptations show how that aim translates into arrangements families can discuss.

Safeguarding responsibilities include a designated safeguarding lead, a deputy and the Home School Link Worker. Parents can submit concerns about a child through a form for the safeguarding team to respond to.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Treat that application as a distinct step when planning your child's next year, rather than assuming nursery enrolment completes the process.

The nursery is on Aylesbury Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST2 0LY. Enquiries can go to the school office by telephone on 01782 254834 or by email at office@stmgca.org.uk.

Prospective parents are invited to visit the school. A visit offers an opportunity to discuss your child's communication and support needs with the team before choosing the nursery.