St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Listening comes before reading at St Thomas Aquinas nursery: children begin with the sounds around them, while respect for other people is introduced from their earliest days. These are small beginnings with a clear purpose, building attention alongside the social habits needed for learning together.

The nursery is the school's Foundation Stage 1 provision, with a teacher, nursery supervisor and learning support assistants. Ofsted graded early years provision Good following the inspection on 15 to 16 November 2022. That judgement covers the school's early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Early reading starts with listening to environmental sounds. For parents, this gives a concrete picture of the nursery's starting point: noticing and listening are part of learning to read, before children tackle written words. In November 2022, children in early years enjoyed attending and were happy, confident and safe.

Learning also includes how to treat other people. Expectations for behaviour begin in early years, and even the youngest children are introduced to respect. This makes social development part of the educational day, rather than something reserved for later schooling.

The school can adapt learning through visual timetables, extra thinking time and vocabulary introduced ahead of an activity. These are school-wide support arrangements, with adjustments matched to individual needs.

Curriculum development. In November 2022, some newly revised school subjects needed clearer steps for building knowledge and skills. Teachers also needed a firmer understanding of earlier and future learning. These were school-wide improvement priorities, rather than findings confined to nursery, but they matter to how learning is connected over time.

Settling begins before the first term. Children joining the Early Years Foundation Stage are invited to summer Stay and Play sessions, and staff visit them at home or in their existing setting. This gives families opportunities to share information before the new routine begins.

For a child with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), a planning meeting brings parents together with the SENDCo, early years lead and relevant previous settings or services. Strengths, difficulties and successful strategies inform the discussion. In November 2022, potential needs were being identified before children started early years, allowing support to begin promptly.

Parents participate in decisions about additional support, including consent for inclusion on the SEND register. Teaching assistants may work with a child individually, in a small group or alongside the class, depending on need. Possible school interventions include Colourful Semantics, Talk Boost and Word Aware; these are options selected for a child's needs, rather than a nursery programme for everyone.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place at St Thomas Aquinas. Families must apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process. Treat that application as a distinct task, rather than assuming a nursery place carries forward.

For children with SEND, information about support is shared when they change class, including their Pupil Passport and Education Health Care Plan where applicable. Continuity of care and admission are separate questions.

The school is on North Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7DG. Nursery enquiries can go to the school office on 01782 307530 or by email to office.sta@ctkcc.co.uk. The SENDCo can also be contacted through the office, giving families a direct route for discussing developmental concerns.