The John Moore Primary School Nursery Review

Storytelling gives Little Foxes Pre School a clear thread: children listen to stories and learn to tell them back. This is the nursery provision at The John Moore Primary School in Walton Cardiff, Tewkesbury, with provision for two-year-olds. The nursery sits beside the school and comes under its governing board, placing it within the school's organisation.

Language is the most distinctive evidenced feature of its learning. For parents, the emphasis is on children building the words and confidence to express ideas, with stories providing a concrete starting point.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines learning about relationships, feelings, movement and communication with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. In parent language, this brings social and physical development together with the beginnings of reading, number and exploration. Learning is broader than preparation for formal lessons.

Little Foxes shares the school's curriculum ambition to encourage lasting interest in learning. Activities include practical work, opportunities to solve problems and tasks undertaken both individually and with others. The school aims to develop children's interests alongside their knowledge and skills, giving participation and thinking a place alongside learning content.

At the June 2024 inspection, nursery children enjoyed listening to stories and were learning to retell them. That gives the reading emphasis a specific expression: children encounter a story, then practise expressing it themselves. The early-years curriculum also established foundations for subsequent learning. These are findings about the children's learning, rather than a separate nursery inspection grade.

Support sits within the school's inclusion structure. An Inclusion Manager oversees SEND across the school, covering needs relating to communication, learning, emotional health and sensory or physical development. This gives families a defined contact through the school office when a child needs additional help.

Curriculum content is adjusted where necessary for children with educational needs or disabilities, and teaching is planned around children's developmental stage. The practical implication is that children can encounter learning at an appropriate level rather than being expected to progress at an identical pace.

A Child & Family Support Worker also works across the school. For food-related care, parents are asked to communicate dietary requirements, including religious requirements; an allergy or intolerance needs an accompanying medical letter. The school has an on-site kitchen producing hot lunches, and children under five qualify for government-funded milk.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Reception admissions operate through Gloucestershire Local Education Authority, which decides allocations when applications exceed the available places. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

The school office is the enquiry contact: telephone 01684 291661 or email admin@johnmoore.gloucs.sch.uk. The school is on Columbine Road in Walton Cardiff, Tewkesbury. Its office also provides the contact route to the Inclusion Manager, so families can raise support needs with the relevant team.