St Hedda's Catholic Primary School Nursery

Three-year-olds joined St Hedda's school provision when its nursery opened in September 2024. This is a school-attached nursery in Egton Bridge, Whitby, within a Catholic primary school. For families choosing an early start in a school setting, that attachment is the defining practical feature. Nursery attendance and a later school place remain separate decisions.

The wider trust's educational aims place Catholic faith alongside children's learning and personal development. Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust describes its ambition for children with special educational needs and disabilities as enjoying learning, achieving their potential and feeling valued within their community. It also emphasises aspirations and children's Christian purpose.

These are trust-wide aims. They give families a sense of the educational ethos surrounding the nursery: learning, inclusion and faith are presented together, with an emphasis on recognising each child's needs.

Families have several named routes to additional advice through the trust's SEND resources. North Yorkshire Local Offer and North Yorkshire SENDIASS are among them. SENDIASS provides impartial advice free of charge to children and young people with special educational needs and their parents or carers. That gives families an advice route alongside conversations about their child's education.

For sensory processing differences, Let’s Make Sense Together provides videos, advice sheets and links to further information. Local therapists created the information, and parents, carers and people supporting children can use it. The resource is free to access, making it a practical starting point for understanding sensory needs.

BBC Bitesize is another named resource, bringing together parenting activities, advice and personal accounts about SEND. At trust level, the SEND team includes a Standards Officer for SEND and primary SEND lead practitioners. This describes the wider support structure around the school; families should distinguish those trust roles from the adults providing their child's daily care.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a place in St Hedda's Reception. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the deadline for their child's entry year. Treat this as a fresh application.

The trust's school application route has two parts: apply through the admissions team of the local authority where you live, then complete a Supplementary Information Form directly for the school. North Yorkshire has a primary main-round application route. For parents, the practical implication is clear: completing the local-authority application is only one part of the trust's process.

For enquiries about St Hedda's, contact the school directly on 01947895361. Its address is Egton Bridge, Whitby, YO21 1UX. The trust directs families seeking information about an individual school to that school, so this is the appropriate first contact for a nursery enquiry.