Nursery at Ryhill Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Sand, water, construction and daily stories give Ryhill’s nursery its character: children learn through play, with adults joining in to extend their ideas. The nursery has its own class within Ryhill Junior, Infant and Nursery School on Chapel Street, and shares an outdoor learning area with Reception. It is a school setting with a distinct nursery space.

Provision is for three- and four-year-olds, generally starting the term after a child turns three. April-born children start in September, not after Easter, regardless of when Easter falls. A 26-place nursery accommodates a maximum of 52 children attending part-time. Morning and afternoon sessions provide the basic pattern, while an extended entitlement offer depends on eligibility and allocation.

Play supplies the starting point for learning. Children can explore small-world play, make music, build, experiment with water or use the writing and maths areas. Outdoors, the learning areas follow the same curriculum on a bigger scale, giving children another way to explore ideas. Adults observe their play, demonstrate possibilities and help them take an activity further; adult-led activities sit alongside children’s own choices.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) combines language, movement and emotional development with literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. In parent terms, learning to communicate and cooperate belongs alongside counting and early writing. Skills Builder adds an explicit focus on abilities such as teamwork, listening and solving problems, practised through projects and lessons.

Topics include Marvellous Me! and Old MacDonald Had a Farm, with children’s interests helping shape the activities. Daily storytelling, library visits and phonics sessions make books and early reading part of the routine. Maths rhymes and resources support counting, exploring shapes and measuring, so children can apply learning during play rather than keeping it within a single activity.

In November 2023, Ofsted found that early-years children made a strong start in reading. That finding supports the emphasis on stories and phonics here; it is an early-years finding within the school inspection, rather than a separate nursery rating.

The nursery staffing includes a teacher and a nursery nurse. Observations of children’s interests and development help staff shape their next learning experiences. Class Dojo shares moments of learning with parents, while parent evenings and an open-door approach provide opportunities for discussion. Families are encouraged to share achievements and interests from home, giving staff more to work with when planning activities.

For children needing additional support, the school’s SEND arrangements include discussions with parents, adaptations to teaching and a cycle of assessing, planning, providing support and reviewing it. Visual timetables and extra processing time are among the possible adjustments. The SENCO coordinates support with staff and outside agencies, including speech and language therapy. Nursery toilets are adapted to children’s height, a practical feature supporting everyday care.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through the normal local-authority route and meet the deadline for their child’s admission year. Wakefield residents use Wakefield’s Common Application Form; families outside the district apply through their home local authority.

For 2026/2027, nursery attendance confers no oversubscription priority. Reception allocation uses criteria including care status, catchment, siblings and distance. The shared outdoor area gives nursery children contact with part of the Reception environment, but that familiarity has no bearing on admission.

Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am; afternoon sessions run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. Requests for fewer than five sessions or 15 hours a week are considered alongside other requests. Eligible families can seek up to 15 additional hours, and do not have to take the whole additional allocation.

The extended offer has a maximum of 16 places. The headteacher may change this number only after all children have been allocated an extended-entitlement place. If all extended-entitlement places have been allocated, spare places may be offered on a charged basis at the headteacher’s discretion. Contact the school for current charges.

Nursery enquiries go directly to the school office, which records the requested attendance pattern through an application form. To arrange a school visit or discuss admissions, call 01226 722530.