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Nursery at Thornton 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Forest School and a shared early years classroom give Thornton’s Pre-School its character. Children learn alongside Reception-aged classmates, with qualified teachers and teaching assistants supporting them. This puts the nursery day within the school’s early years provision rather than in a separate nursery group.
Children can join once they have turned three during the preceding school term. Pre-School operates in Hazel Class at Thornton Primary School, on Heys Street in Thornton-Cleveleys. In February 2023, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good; this was an early years judgement within the school inspection, not a separate nursery rating.
Independence is a central aim of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. Children use learning opportunities indoors and outside to explore their interests, practise what they have learned and work with other children. Their starting points inform the planning, which changes during the year to reflect the group’s needs and interests. The practical implication is that children’s own interests help shape activities.
Forest School connects classroom learning with the outdoor environment. Pre-School children attending on Wednesday afternoons can participate. One concrete early years maths activity involves collecting sticks and comparing their lengths, giving children a physical way to explore measurement. Outdoor learning therefore has a specific learning purpose alongside time spent outside.
Early reading has a daily place in EYFS. Morning phonics groups last approximately 20 minutes and use the Lancashire Red Rose Phonics Programme, with groupings reconsidered regularly. Listening activities include rhyme, sounds made by the body and sounds in the environment. These introduce children to distinguishing sounds before the later work of combining them into words.
French also begins in EYFS through Language Angels. Children encounter greetings and vocabulary for animals, colours and numbers, providing an early introduction to another language.
Settling is part of the Hazel Class teaching assistant role: a member of the team supports children as they join Pre-School and Reception. The wider school’s Family Learning Mentor also helps children who need support settling into school, and works with families and outside agencies. That gives families a further route for discussing difficulties affecting their child.
Learning support is reviewed frequently. EYFS staff discuss children’s progress each week, and children needing help in a particular area receive support through classroom work or interventions. Development Matters informs both planning and assessment, linking what adults observe to the next steps in learning.
For children with SEND, the school works with families to understand needs, agree support and review progress. Widgit symbols can support understanding and communication. Teachers work with the SENDCo and inclusion team, so parental information can contribute to decisions about support rather than relying solely on attainment or a diagnosis.
Pre-School attendance does not guarantee a Reception place or confer nursery attendance priority. Families must submit a separate application through Lancashire County Council. For entry in September 2027, the application period begins in September 2026 and closes in January 2027. Familiarity with the classroom is separate from the allocation of a school place.
Children already learn alongside Reception-aged peers. For children with SEND, transition support is tailored to need and may involve photographs, extra visits, meetings or social stories. These arrangements help make the change more predictable; they do not alter admissions criteria.
Pre-School places are managed directly by the school and depend on availability. Three-year-old Pre-School children are entitled to 15 funded hours each week, while some families qualify for 30 hours.
Enquiries and appointments to visit Pre-School go through the school office: telephone 01253 821128 or email bursar@thorntonprimary.lancs.sch.uk. This is also the contact route for current places, sessions and eligibility.
A child can join if they turned three during the previous school term, subject to a place being available.
Yes. Pre-School children share the EYFS setting with Reception-aged children and have access to a qualified teacher.
Yes. Children attending Pre-School on Wednesday afternoons have the opportunity to participate.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place or confer priority. You must apply separately through Lancashire County Council. For September 2027 entry, the closing month is January 2027.
Contact the school office on 01253 821128 or email bursar@thorntonprimary.lancs.sch.uk to make an appointment.
