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Nursery at St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Sunderland
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Stories, conversation and imaginative play give this nursery its character. Communication and language receive a clear emphasis, with adults using children's interests to introduce vocabulary and draw them into discussion. It is a practical starting point for children learning to express themselves.
From age 3, children can attend morning or afternoon sessions, with both 15 and 30 hour places offered. The nursery sits within St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School in Grindon, Sunderland, and has 26 full-time-equivalent places. That figure describes capacity rather than the number of children attending each session.
Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good at its inspection on 24 and 25 September 2024. This judgement covers early years within the school rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Play and adult-directed learning share the day. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together learning about language, movement, relationships, reading and writing, numbers, the world and creative expression. Here, topics, songs and stories sit alongside activities prompted by children's own interests. Planned play takes place outside as well as indoors, giving children different ways to investigate and practise skills.
Conversation has a concrete role. Adults expand on what children say, introduce new words and use questions to encourage fuller explanations. Storytelling and role play give children opportunities to share ideas. Nursery phonics begins through play and group activities: children distinguish sounds, explore rhyme and practise combining or separating spoken sounds. These are foundations for later reading rather than simply exercises with printed words.
Religious education uses Come and See, a programme that includes the Foundation stage. The wider school grounds contain a field and wooded area, while its indoor facilities include a School Library and Nurture/Sensory Room. These are school facilities, alongside the nursery's indoor and outdoor learning provision.
In September 2024, early years children enjoyed adult-led learning, including representing numbers with their fingers, and a visit to a local post office helped connect learning with everyday life. There was also a clear weakness: during some less structured activities, adults did not make the intended knowledge explicit enough. Children consequently sometimes missed opportunities to deepen their learning. The balance of purposeful teaching and freely chosen play is a useful focus when visiting.
A nursery teacher and teaching assistant form the nursery's teaching team. In September 2024, children settled promptly, helped by an organised transition process and staff getting to understand families early. That makes the introduction to nursery part of the educational work, rather than just an administrative step.
Class Dojo supports individual messages with teachers and updates about class learning. More substantial concerns go through the office for an appointment or telephone discussion. Absences must be reported by telephone to the office, keeping that communication separate from app messages.
For special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), families can arrange a discussion with the SEND Team through the office. The school works with speech and language therapists, health visitors and educational psychologists; individual education plans are agreed and reviewed with parents. Nursery children can also have a purchased school meal, giving families a meal option alongside their chosen hours.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Sunderland City Council's school admissions portal. For September 2027 entry, the deadline is 4:30pm on Friday 15 January 2027. Treat that application as a separate task even if your child already attends nursery.
After a school place is offered, families are contacted about induction days and starting routines. Those preparations help children become familiar with the next stage; they do not secure admission.
The 30 hour offer finishes at 2:30pm each day. Families can purchase an extra hour to extend attendance to 3:30pm, and a school meal is a separate optional purchase. Contact the school for current charges. The distinction matters when matching nursery attendance to the school finish time.
Visits can be arranged through the school office. For enquiries, call 0191 528 5094 or email office@stcuthbertsprimaryschool.co.uk.
Morning and afternoon places are offered from age 3.
The nursery offers 15 and 30 hour places. The 30 hour offer ends at 2:30pm each day, with an optional purchased extension to 3:30pm.
Yes. A school meal is an optional purchase; contact the school for current charges.
No. A separate application is required through Sunderland City Council's school admissions portal. For September 2027 entry, apply by 4:30pm on Friday 15 January 2027.
Contact the school office on 0191 528 5094 or email office@stcuthbertsprimaryschool.co.uk.
