Sleights Primary School Nursery Review

Explorers gives children from two years old their own nursery class within Sleights Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. Around thirty children attend the class. This is provision on the school site, with a named class leader and a day organised around morning and afternoon sessions.

The nursery caters for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Families can choose a start from their child's second or third birthday, subject to space. The school aims for children to be happy, flourish and succeed, placing individual children and their families within that ambition.

A clear lunchtime break shapes the Explorers day. Morning learning starts at 8.45am, with doors closing at 8.50am. Lunch follows at noon; children can stay for lunch and leave afterwards. The afternoon begins at 12.30pm, and the nursery day finishes at 3.00pm. That gives families a concrete picture of how the two sessions fit together.

Fruit is offered in both sessions, so snack time is part of the morning and afternoon routine. Lunch also creates a point at which families can choose to extend a morning's attendance through the meal.

The wider school grounds contain a forest used for outdoor learning. It is a distinct physical feature of the school setting: the school describes outdoor learning there as a way for children to develop skills and resilience.

Explorers has a class leader. At school level, the staffing structure also includes a SENCo, a senior child-protection lead and a deputy child-protection lead. These roles give families identifiable responsibilities for discussing additional needs or welfare concerns.

Meals are cooked on site each day and follow the North Yorkshire Council menu. Lunchtime uses family-style service, which the school sees as a way to develop relationships and table manners. Nursery meals carry a separate charge; contact the school for current charges. Nuts and peanuts must be kept out of food brought into school.

Getting to know a child begins during the application process: staff learn about children's interests and talents while guiding families through the next steps. Parents are encouraged to raise education or welfare concerns directly with the school, with a separate complaints process for unresolved concerns.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must apply separately through the local authority's normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Sleights follows North Yorkshire Council's admissions policy. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as two separate tasks.

Funded places and privately paid places are offered in Explorers. Staff help families identify funding for their child and make an application. Additional hours outside funded provision can also be requested, allowing families to consider both the funded arrangement and any extra attendance together.

For enquiries, email admin@sleights.n-yorks.sch.uk or telephone 01947 810395. School tours can be arranged by contacting the school, giving families an opportunity to see the site before deciding.