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Nursery at Moorside 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Dough Disco, early phonics and spaces for making marks give Moorside’s nursery a clear practical character. Children choose activities and explore, while adults also teach directly. This is the school’s own nursery class within its Early Years phase, in Swinton, with places currently allocated full time.
The intake is for children who turn four during the academic year. The 2025-2026 admissions policy listed 60 full-time nursery places. Ofsted’s report dated 26 February 2026 judged the school’s early years provision to meet the Expected standard; that judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Choice and planned teaching sit alongside each other. The indoor and outdoor spaces are organised as workshops, with resources children can use for exploration and experimentation. Adults watch how children engage with activities they have selected, including their concentration and persistence. The practical implication is room to pursue an idea, alongside teaching that introduces the next skill.
Early Years learning connects play with communication, early literacy and number. Nursery rhymes and core stories recur through sessions. Read, Write Inc introduces initial sounds, while Dough Disco connects phonics with letter formation. Reading areas and phonics stations give children opportunities to revisit that learning independently.
Writing stations support early marks, letters and attempts at writing names. Activities also develop the small hand muscles needed for pencil control, so preparation for writing includes physical practice as well as recognising sounds. In February 2026, early years teaching developed reading, writing and number systematically. Adults used both group work and children’s independent play to extend language. Conversation has a teaching purpose here.
Relationships provide the basis for support. In February 2026, early years staff understood children’s individual needs and worked with families to recognise obstacles to learning promptly, including difficulties with speech and communication. Assessments informed the help children received, giving parents a role in identifying what their child needs.
The school’s SEND arrangements include The Hive, which mainly serves Early Years, and sensory support through the Senso cube. Access to adaptive provision depends on an individual child’s needs and support plan; the SENDCo and Child and Families Officer oversee it. These are targeted options rather than a separate routine for every nursery child.
For children receiving SEND support, the school’s information report sets out termly progress reports and three teacher meetings each year. Staff training includes Attention Autism and Colourful Semantics. Families can therefore discuss specific targets and review how support is working.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through Salford’s school admissions service and meet the normal application deadline.
Under the 2025-2026 admissions policy, nursery attendance gave no Reception priority: children were assessed against the same admission criteria whether or not they had attended. Curriculum preparation is a separate matter. In February 2026, the early years curriculum prepared nursery children for their next stage of learning; that educational continuity does not confer an admissions advantage.
Full-time allocation is the current nursery booking model. For enquiries or a school visit appointment, contact the office on 0161 808 0182. Applications go through Salford Local Authority Admissions.
A childcare offer for the September 2025 intake linked free term-time wraparound care to eligible families claiming 30 hours of government funding, conditional on the school receiving that funding. Its hours were 07.45 to 17.30, Monday to Friday, with holiday club charged separately. This was a dated intake offer, so it should not be treated as a promise for a later cohort.
The nursery intake is for children whose fourth birthday falls between 1 September and 31 August of the relevant academic year.
Yes. The admissions page describes nursery places as currently allocated full time.
They encounter nursery rhymes and core stories, learn initial sounds through Read, Write Inc, and use Dough Disco and writing stations to practise early writing skills.
Attendance does not guarantee a place. The 2025-2026 policy gave nursery children no priority over other applicants. Families apply separately through Salford’s admissions service.
Contact the school office to arrange a conversation with the class teacher or SENDCo. The school’s SEND arrangements include individual planning and reviews with parents.
