Dishforth Church of England Primary School Nursery

Construction, imaginative play and growing space give Dishforth’s early years provision its character. The nursery belongs to Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in Dishforth, near Thirsk, where the school’s age range begins at three. This is a start within a primary school, with a Church of England identity.

The school places importance on its Christian values and aims for children to enjoy learning and build positive relationships. For parents, that gives the nursery’s play and care a clear context: learning alongside others matters as well as learning new skills.

Learning through provision is the approach here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum takes practical form through activities including role play, construction and craft, alongside maths, writing and exploration of the world. Sand and water also feature. These give children different ways to investigate and express ideas, rather than making learning depend solely on sitting and listening.

Funky Fingers is another named element of the provision. Small world play, art and malleable activities add further variety. Outside, raised growing beds stand behind the EYFS classroom, with a bed allocated to each class. That is a concrete connection between the learning space and the school’s gardening activity.

Early reading and maths had secure foundations across early years at the December 2024 inspection: Ofsted identified phonics knowledge and a clear grasp of number. Communication was another strength. Children brought vocabulary from stories, rhymes and songs into their play, alongside confidence in speaking and attentiveness in listening. These findings concern early years collectively, rather than a separate nursery judgement.

The December 2024 school-wide curriculum improvement request was to define essential knowledge more clearly and sharpen assessment of it. Its scope matters: it was not identified as a nursery-specific weakness.

An EYFS teaching assistant forms part of the team. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school aims to provide the support they need and enable participation alongside other pupils. Families can contact the SEND team through the school office, giving them a direct route to discuss their child’s needs.

Safeguarding responsibilities extend to adults working for the school and nursery. The headteacher leads safeguarding, with the senior teacher as deputy. Parents with a concern can speak to the safeguarding team. This provides an identified route for raising worries about a child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the relevant deadline.

For the September 2025 intake, applications went through North Yorkshire’s online admissions procedure, with the council allocating places against its criteria. Keep choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Enquiries go to the school office on 01845 577206 or admin@dishforth.n-yorks.sch.uk. Families can arrange a look around through the office, making a visit a practical next step when considering the nursery.

The school is on Grange Close, Dishforth, Thirsk, YO7 3LN. For a visit by car, use the car park reached through Baynes Drive: enter the village from the roundabout, take the first right and continue to the road’s end.