St Peter's Church of England Primary School Nursery

Play and Christian values shape the nursery offer at St Peter’s in Wallsend. The nursery uses learning through play, with classrooms and play areas providing space for children to explore and develop skills. It belongs to St Peter’s Church of England Primary School on North Terrace, rather than operating as a separate nursery.

The nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds, with children joining at the start of the term after turning three. Alongside this, the school offers provision for two-year-olds, including funded places for eligible families. St Peter’s describes its Christian vision as Growing Well Together. The current school has no Ofsted graded rating yet.

Exploration is the starting point. The nursery follows an early years curriculum and describes play as the means through which children discover and practise new skills. Classrooms contain learning resources, while play areas give children another setting for activity. The school also includes outdoor learning in its offer, bringing learning beyond the classroom.

Across its curriculum, St Peter’s aims to connect knowledge and skills from Pre-Nursery onwards, taking account of children’s interests and needs. Its early years phonics programme is Read Write Inc. Children are introduced to sounds and their corresponding letters, then learn to combine sounds into words. Reading books use sounds children have already encountered, linking reading practice to earlier learning. Parent workshops support families with phonics and reading at home.

For children with additional needs, support includes help with the move from home into nursery. Families can discuss concerns with the class teacher or special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), and share assessments or diagnoses to help staff plan support. Children with a higher level of additional need receive a key worker for individual targets, access to learning and pastoral support.

The school uses an assess, plan, do and review cycle for SEND support. Through Provision Map, parents can see targets and add comments to their child’s support plan; paper copies are provided for families without online access. This gives parents a practical way to contribute to decisions. Class Dojo and SchoolPING are also used for communication with families.

Support can involve Speech and Language Therapy and the Educational Psychology Service. Adjustments are matched to individual needs and can include movement breaks, visual timetables or extra processing time. These are school support arrangements, rather than a promise that every nursery child receives the same intervention.

The school serves hot lunches, and kitchen staff adjust food for religious dietary requirements. Families considering lunchtime attendance can discuss meal arrangements and current charges with the school.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority under the stated oversubscription criteria. Families must apply separately through North Tyneside Council’s School Admissions Portal by the council’s deadline. Nursery applications go directly to the school, so the two processes need separate attention.

Transition support is a different matter. For pupils with additional needs, the school supports the move from Nursery to Reception alongside support for their parents. That help with changing stages does not alter the allocation of places.

Nursery registration is at 8:50am, with entry through the EYFS gates; the stated finish is 3:20pm. Gates close at 9am, after which children should be brought to the main office. At the end of the day, gates open at 3:15pm. These timings help families plan the school journey.

Eligible three- and four-year-olds can use funded early years hours. Families complete North Tyneside Council’s parent declaration and return it to the school. For eligible two-year-olds, funded provision covers 15 hours per week. Contact the school for current charges.

Nursery enquiries and visit requests can be made on 0191 605 3407 or at stpeters.admin@neat.org.uk. The school’s uniform combines grey bottoms, a white shirt or polo, a red top and black shoes. Pre-owned clothing is offered at school events, and Emblematic supplies new branded items.