The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Nursery at Grappenhall Heys Community 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Chicks to care for, fish in the classroom and a mud kitchen outside give this nursery a character beyond its session timetable. Grappenhall Heys Community Primary School’s nursery serves three- and four-year-olds within the school’s early years provision. A qualified teacher leads it, with an adult-to-child ratio of 1:13. Families can choose part-time or full-time attendance.
Early years provision was judged Outstanding at the Ofsted inspection on 11 and 12 February 2025. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery. The nursery’s combination of animal care, outdoor exploration and focused learning gives children concrete things to investigate and talk about.
Play and teaching share the day. Children pursue activities they choose themselves as well as joining work led by adults, using the classroom, outdoor provision and forest area. Nursery planning draws on Development Matters, guidance for early childhood learning, and changes to reflect children’s interests and next steps. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) connects learning about language, relationships and movement with early number, literacy, creativity and understanding the world.
Sound games have a regular place. A daily phonics session lasts 10 minutes and develops rhyme, alliteration and the ability to join or separate spoken sounds. Singing, stories and actions add opportunities to practise listening and speaking. In February 2025, nursery children were learning to recognise sounds through songs, rhymes and games. Weekly library visits let them select a book to share with family at home.
Numbers to 5 are a nursery maths focus, with White Rose Maths resources shaping the approach. Games and investigations bring number language into play indoors and outside. Logs offer balancing opportunities, while the mud kitchen provides another setting for imaginative activity. Children also hatch and rear chickens and care for classroom fish. These are practical introductions to responsibility: living creatures need attention as well as curiosity.
Settling starts before the first session. Children and their parents or carers spend time in the nursery and meet staff before attendance begins, with individual arrangements confirmed once a place is agreed. The nursery recommends five sessions, totalling 15 hours each week, to help children settle into its routines.
For children learning English as an additional language, early years support includes key person relationships, emotion cards and family photographs. WellComm screens communication and language, with a translator able to support assessment in a home language. Staff adapt early years activities through demonstrations, extra support and feedback, helping children with different starting points take part.
A weekly myHappymind session introduces ways to understand and manage feelings; parents can use its app to carry the same approaches into home life. Parent Mail handles communication with families, while Stay and Play and Mystery Reader events invite parents into children’s learning.
Morning and afternoon snacks are provided. Children attending all day can bring lunch from home or have a hot meal cooked in the school kitchen for an additional charge. That gives families a choice within the longer day.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Warrington School Admissions and meet the normal application deadline. Keep that application separate from arranging nursery attendance.
Familiarity is a different matter. Nursery and Reception children use the same play area, where the older children act as role models. That shared space creates contact with the next stage of school life, but does not secure admission.
Sessions run Monday to Friday: mornings are 8:45am to 11:45am, and afternoons 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Half days or full days including lunchtime care can be arranged with the office. A full-time place totals 32.5 hours weekly. Attendance is term-time only, excluding teacher training days.
Government childcare funding starts in the term following a child’s third birthday. Contact the school for current charges. Link Club adds care before and after school, with a separate classroom for early years children. Its Hall Entrance is the collection and drop-off point.
Nursery uniform includes a yellow polo and burgundy jumper or cardigan, with black leggings, shorts or tracksuit bottoms. Wellies stay at school, and a waterproof coat is essential. To express interest, email the completed nursery form to heys_finance@sch.warrington.gov.uk. Visits during the working school day can be arranged on 01925 212540.
The nursery caters for three- and four-year-olds. Children may join once they turn three if a place is available.
Yes. Morning and afternoon sessions are available Monday to Friday, and the office can arrange half days or full days with lunchtime care. The nursery recommends five sessions per week to support settling.
Children practise listening and playing with sounds through singing, stories and rhyme. A daily 10-minute phonics session develops skills such as oral blending and segmenting, and children visit the library weekly.
Families can supply a packed lunch or choose a hot meal prepared in the school kitchen for an additional charge. Children also receive morning and afternoon snacks.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Warrington School Admissions. Sharing the play area with Reception children helps familiarity, but does not secure a place.
