St Aidan's Catholic Primary School Nursery, Wallsend

Learning to listen, finding words and being kind give St Aidan's early years provision its character. Personal, social and emotional development sits alongside communication and language as a priority, making relationships and conversation central to the learning approach.

This is the nursery within St Aidan's Catholic Primary School on Coniston Road in Wallsend. The school takes children from age 3 and belongs to Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust. Its early years team includes a nursery teacher, a nursery teaching assistant and an early years lead. The setting aims to make the move from home into nursery feel secure, with Christian care and relationships with parents shaping that welcome.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the nursery's curriculum framework. Here, the approach combines play and exploration with adults demonstrating ideas, children learning from one another and activities guided by adults. For parents, that means learning involves both children's own discoveries and adult direction.

Listening and speaking receive explicit attention. Children practise working together and treating others kindly, connecting language with the social skills needed to take part in a group. The nursery's emphasis on these areas gives everyday interaction a clear purpose.

In October 2024, nursery children enjoyed stories, learnt rhymes and encountered fresh vocabulary. These are concrete examples of the language emphasis: books and rhymes give children words to explore and something to talk about. Catholic learning also has a named framework across the school, Come and See, which links faith with how children live and care for others.

Settling is part of the early years picture. In October 2024, children in the early years became familiar with routines quickly and adjusted well to school life. That matters for a child making the move from home to a group setting.

Parents can discuss concerns and additional support with the class teacher, then speak with the SENCO or headteacher about further needs. This gives families a direct route into conversations about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

School meals are supplied by Hutchison Catering Ltd, using a menu cycle of 3 weeks that returns to its first week after a term holiday. Discuss how meals fit your child's booked nursery attendance before starting.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. The route is North Tyneside's online school applications service.

For the September 2025 intake, the application deadline was 13th January 2025. That cycle is past; use the deadline for your child's own intake when planning the next step. Becoming familiar with school life and securing a Reception place are separate matters.

Children using early years entitlements in the nursery have no chargeable extras. This condition matters when weighing the funded arrangement against the family's childcare plans.

Before-school care. Breakfast Club serves Reception through Year 6. Families choosing nursery should plan morning childcare separately from that club.

For nursery enquiries, contact the school office on 0191 716 0585 or email office@staidans.school. The school is on Coniston Road, Wallsend, NE28 0EP.