Blackgates Primary Academy Nursery

Ducklings and Signets give Blackgates’ youngest provision its own identity: two-year-olds have morning or afternoon sessions, while the nursery class follows a longer day. This is nursery provision within Blackgates Primary Academy on Smithy Lane in Tingley, with the practical distinction between the two groups worth understanding before choosing a pattern.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its inspection on 23 and 24 April 2025. That judgement covers early years within the academy; it is not a separate nursery rating. Children developed independence and played cooperatively, giving families a useful picture of the social learning alongside their first educational steps.

A story about a magic porridge pot led to children exploring oats in early years. It is a concrete example of how books connect with play: children handle materials and investigate while a story gives the activity meaning. Reading and practical exploration meet in the same experience.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) experience here includes learning to communicate, becoming more independent and playing alongside other children. In April 2025, adults used conversations deliberately to build children’s language, with familiar rhymes and songs supporting learning. Those exchanges give children opportunities to practise expressing themselves as they play. Children also used the learning environment productively.

Early writing. In April 2025, some pupils’ early writing needed closer attention, including correcting letter formation and securing basic knowledge before harder tasks. Spelling and punctuation also needed greater accuracy for some pupils, and staff did not consistently correct written errors. This was a concern about some pupils across the school, rather than a nursery-only finding, but it makes attention to those first writing habits relevant for families.

Support sits within the academy’s wider inclusion arrangements. Class teachers work with support staff to adapt learning, and children with SEND have plans with outcomes that are reviewed. For families, that provides a structure for discussing individual needs and checking progress rather than relying on a general promise of inclusion.

Sparrows classroom provides a quieter setting for children with the most complex needs, including Attention Autism, Music Interaction and speech and language interventions. The school also has a Soft Play and Sensory Room for movement and sensory breaks. These are school facilities, with their purpose centred on helping children access learning and manage their needs.

For children under five, the school works with the Leeds 0-5 years service and its twos provision to support families. Fresh drinking water is accessible through the day. School packed-lunch rules exclude nuts and nut products, although the school acknowledges that a completely nut-free environment cannot be guaranteed. That qualification matters for families managing allergies.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions process and meet its deadline. The academy’s admissions authority is Leodis Academies Trust, which works with Leeds City Council on the common admissions procedure. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.

Ducklings sessions for two-year-olds run from 08:40 to 11:40 in the morning and 12:20 to 15:20 in the afternoon. Signets nursery runs from 08:40 to 15:20. Those different finishing times have a direct bearing on collection arrangements and the shape of a family’s day.

Nursery enquiries go through the school on 0113 887 8155. Families can also arrange an appointment to look around the school by calling that number.