Tadcaster Primary Academy Nursery

Team Venus gives this nursery its place within school life: nursery children belong to the same teaching team as Reception and Year One. Tadcaster Primary Academy takes children from age three, with nursery provision on Grange Avenue in Tadcaster. For families choosing a school nursery, that shared team structure is a concrete point of connection with the next stage.

Three-hour morning sessions give the day a clear boundary, running from 9am to noon. Sessions can be arranged flexibly across the week, with changes each term dependent on availability. That flexibility concerns the booking pattern; families need to plan around the agreed sessions.

Across early years, reading begins with stories and phonics, the work of learning sounds. In January 2023, Ofsted found that story sessions encouraged children’s interest in books and that staff taught the phonics programme effectively. These are early-years findings, rather than a separate nursery rating.

Classroom adaptations include visual prompts, practical learning materials and an area designed to reduce distractions. These give children different ways to engage with learning, including through hands-on activity. The school also uses alternative ways for children to record their work when needed, so participation need not depend on one method.

Preparation for starting involves families. In January 2023, staff worked successfully with parents to prepare children for joining early years. This makes the relationship between home and the teaching team part of the starting process.

Support for additional needs begins with discussion between parents and staff, with the special educational needs coordinator involved in planning interventions. Visual timetables and extra thinking time are among the classroom adjustments. The school works with speech and language therapists and Early Years support Teachers, providing routes to specialist advice when a child needs it.

Personal care has a defined process. Regular intimate-care needs require an individual care plan and parental consent, and adults must not undertake intimate care alone. This gives families a specific arrangement to agree for children needing that support.

School lunches take place in the hall. Meals are booked through Appetite by 9am on the day they are needed, making advance organisation part of the routine. Lunchtime meals and unfunded nursery hours carry charges; contact the school for current charges.

Nursery attendance neither guarantees a Reception place nor gives admissions priority. A fresh application is required. The shared Team Venus structure is separate from the decision about who receives a place.

For entry in September 2027, apply through your home local authority by 15 January 2027. North Yorkshire residents can use the council’s online admissions service; families living elsewhere apply through their own authority. Keep that deadline in the family calendar even if your child already attends nursery.

Funding begins in the term following a child’s third birthday. Each child is eligible for 15 funded hours weekly, with 30 hours available to eligible children. Families assessed as eligible for 30 hours must give the school their eligibility code.

For a nursery application pack, contact the office on 01937 833795 or admin.tad@ebor.academy. School visits can also be arranged through the office throughout the year, giving parents an opportunity to see the setting before making their choice.