Nursery at Priestsic Primary and Nursery School

Stories, sandwich-making and a visit from the Fire and Rescue Service give Priestsic’s nursery learning a practical character. Foundation 1 is the nursery provision within Priestsic Primary and Nursery School, on Park Street in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Language and hands-on exploration are the clearest threads running through its activities.

At the Ofsted inspection on 19 and 20 July 2022, early years provision was graded Good. This judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Nursery children’s opportunities to develop language through poems, singing and stories were a specific finding, giving parents a concrete picture of the foundations for later reading.

Listening and talking have a substantial place in nursery learning. In July 2022, children encountered stories alongside poetry and songs as preparation for reading. For a parent, that means early literacy here includes hearing language, enjoying its rhythms and building familiarity with stories.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) activities also include making and experimenting. Art materials include dough and clay, crayons and paint, alongside natural objects, mud and construction blocks. Children can express an idea by building or modelling as well as drawing, giving them different ways to explore their thoughts and imagination.

The 2021 nursery programme linked books to practical tasks. During the summer animal theme, The Three Little Pigs was the starting point for building houses and dens from different materials. Brown Bear, Brown Bear prompted exploration of colour with paint and water. Those examples connect a familiar story to something children can test and make themselves.

A garden featured in the spring and summer 2021 plans: children were to draw trees, care for plants, plant their own and search for minibeasts. Wool spider webs extended the minibeast theme into making. These were activities from that year’s programme, rather than a promise of an identical annual timetable.

Other nursery activities have included preparing jam sandwiches and learning around Christmas and Bonfire Night. A Fire and Rescue Service visit brought people from outside school into the children’s learning.

For families supporting language at home, Foundation 1 has a Let’s Play parent video and ideas for Phase 1 phonics activities and games. These give parents practical starting points for sharing play and early sound activities with their child.

Across the school, Priestsic aims to support each child’s individual needs, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Its approach includes consulting parents and considering transition arrangements. English as an Additional Language (EAL) support has a designated lead, with translation links for families. The school invites parents to share celebrations and traditions that matter to them, creating an opening for family culture to contribute to school life.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the applicable deadline; choosing the nursery should be a decision about nursery provision itself.

For the September 2021 transition, Foundation 2 used a welcome video and a transition booklet to introduce children to school. These familiarisation materials were separate from the allocation of places.

The school can be contacted on 01623 465 705 or at admin@priestsic.notts.sch.uk. Its address is Park Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 4BB.