Marsden Primary School Nursery

A three-hour session or a full school day: Marsden’s nursery gives families two distinct ways to begin school life. Children can join once they have turned three, with morning or afternoon attendance under the 15-hour offer and a whole-day option under the government-funded 30-hour offer, subject to eligibility.

This is Marsden Primary School’s own nursery unit in Whitburn. The practical distinction matters: families choosing a shorter session have a separate collection time, while the longer allocation extends across the school day.

Learning to choose activities and learning to follow routines sit alongside one another here. At the September 2023 inspection, early years children paid attention to adults, made sensible activity choices and cooperated with other children. For a parent, those findings describe useful foundations for learning: listening, making decisions and taking part alongside others.

Creative activities have included building, painting and making ties during Bring Your Dad To School Day, when Foundation Stage children took part with fathers, grandfathers and uncles. It is a concrete example of children making things together with family members, rather than simply watching a school presentation.

The physical setting includes a nursery classroom and the Foundation Stage garden, both identified in the August 2020 arrangements for a nursery visit. An EYFS Virtual Tour also links families to a tour of the Foundation Stage environment, intended to help children picture the setting before starting.

Settling into school routines receives sensitive adult guidance. In September 2023, Ofsted found that staff helped early years children adjust promptly and successfully. That gives families a dated indication of how the first steps into nursery were handled, rather than a promise about every child’s experience.

Visual Timetables provides another concrete support. In its January 2021 nursery SEND material, Marsden described using pictures to organise the day and make expectations clearer for children with special educational needs and disabilities. The same resource suggests drawing the sequence at home and removing pictures as activities finish, giving parents a practical way to make routines understandable.

For concerns about support, the school office connects parents with the SEND coordinator. Marsden’s SEND page also links to its SEND information report, policy and Local Offer, giving families a route to information about support and services.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

An EYFS Open Evening has provided information for new families and parents of children moving into Reception. This offers a chance to understand the next stage; it should not be read as an admissions entitlement.

The 15-hour allocation runs from 8:45am to 11:45am or from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. For the 30-hour allocation, the listed day is 8:45am to 3:30pm, with an instruction to discuss details with staff. These are different attendance patterns, so choose the one that fits the collection arrangements your family can manage.

The Nursery Admissions page links to a Nursery Application Form and a 30-hour Eligibility Form. For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0191 529 2040. The school address is 4 Mill Lane, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7HJ.