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Nursery at Waterside Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
One Ducklings class, three key worker groups and daily outdoor learning give Waterside’s nursery its shape. This is the school’s own early years provision in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, with 45 nursery places. The school’s intake begins at three.
Ducklings sits within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The nursery classroom contains designated learning areas, giving children different spaces for activities within the same class. The key worker groups provide a smaller grouping within that structure.
Stories and spoken language are central to the day. Nursery children follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, using its Foundations for Phonics approach. Daily activities develop language and practise oral blending: hearing separate sounds and combining them into a word. The emphasis is on listening and talking through stories and rhymes.
The EYFS combines communication, movement and emotional development with early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and learning about the world. Waterside aims to build independence and confidence through this curriculum, encouraging children to pursue interests and communicate ideas through drawing and other creative materials. That gives learning more forms than spoken answers alone.
Outdoors is part of everyday learning. Children use the outdoor area both for activities they choose and for tasks led by adults; indoors, designated learning areas support different parts of the curriculum. This combination gives the session room for exploration as well as guided activity.
At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that nursery staff used expressive storytelling and actions to expand vocabulary and encourage enjoyment of books. The same inspection identified opportunities in the early years outdoor area for developing larger body movements. Language and physical development therefore have concrete places in the nursery experience.
Settling begins with opportunities to become familiar with school. New EYFS children are invited to stay and play, and families are offered home visits. These create time for children and adults to get acquainted before the usual routine begins.
Three key worker groups organise the nursery class, and its staffing structure includes two nursery learning support roles. Communication continues through weekly class blog updates, while children’s development is shared with parents frequently. Families can also contribute achievements from home, connecting the two parts of a child’s life.
For additional needs, parents can speak first to the class teacher and arrange contact with the SENDCo through the office. The school’s support process includes small group work, individual interventions where needed and reviews with parents. Medical care plans are developed with families and the school nurse, giving staff information relevant to the child’s care.
Lunch needs separate planning for a full day: both lunchtime provision and food are chargeable rather than included in the nursery offer.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and gives no priority within Waterside’s Reception allocation criteria. Those criteria concern children in care or previously in care, catchment, siblings and distance. Families must make a separate Reception application through Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s admissions service, following the normal application timetable.
Transition support is a separate matter. Across the school, children spend transition sessions with their class teacher, and the SENDCo can meet parents before their child joins. Familiarisation supports the change of routine; it does not secure admission.
The 15-hour offer uses morning or afternoon sessions: 8:30 to 11:30 or 12:20 to 15:20. Full-time nursery runs from 8:30 to 15:20. Additional 15-hour places are limited and allocated first come, first served, either through eligibility for further funded hours or paid top-up. Families using paid hours should contact the school for current charges.
Applications for nursery places go through the local authority. For questions about the nursery day, contact the school office on 01782 234630 or use its enquiry form. Prompt collection matters; parents running late should notify the office.
The school uniform includes a royal blue jumper or cardigan, white polo shirt and black school clothing. A logo is optional, and the office runs a second-hand uniform shop. These alternatives give families more choice over how they obtain uniform.
Waterside has 45 nursery places in its Ducklings class, organised into three key worker groups.
Morning sessions run from 8:30 to 11:30 and afternoon sessions from 12:20 to 15:20. Full-time places run from 8:30 to 15:20.
Additional 15-hour places are limited and offered first come, first served, through eligibility for extra funded hours or paid top-up.
No. Lunchtime provision and food are chargeable separately. Contact the school for current charges.
No. Nursery attendance neither guarantees admission nor gives priority under the Reception criteria. Apply separately through Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s admissions service.
